In a Lifetime
by Amber Cloud
Summary: AU-Another look at Mutant X's life post "The Assault."
1. Default Chapter

In a Lifetime

Legal Disclaimer-Fireworks, Marvel and Tribune Entertainment own them, I'm just playing in the driveway.

Author's Note-Serious note time. This is an AU of my own creation, post "The Assault". I'm writing it till the images stop coming, but, you need to know I am heading into the land of dark, angsty Jesse. (Someone pick up Laily, I think she just passed out). Reviews are adored, loved and very appreciated.

Chapter 1

The liquor was poured into the glass quickly and the splash was added without a single drop leaving the glass. It felt good in his hand, and with a smile he thanked the female bartender, who in turn smiled back. He took a sip, the bourbon raging a fire down the back of his throat and calming the nerves that played havoc with the surroundings around him.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It was good to finally be done with the hellish day he had, starting at 5 am with the coldest shower he could stand. Work had it's own hellish moments, then he had gotten the call to meet her here.

He had been in the bar for a about ten minutes when he finally felt alone. When he was working, it was a huge team and he never felt any hope of solitude. He was off duty, though, and bars were allowed in his line of work, everyone needed a place to unwind after a long and tedious day defending the president.

He loosened his tie, leaned back and watched the door. The message had said she wanted to meet him at 5:30, it was 5:35 and he was seriously annoyed. She knew his time schedule wasn't his anymore. It was becoming more of a matter of respect that she would show up on time.

It was ten minutes later, but he knew the second he smelled the perfume that she was there. She had entered, taken off her raincoat, put it over her arm and walked to him, her stance cat like and perfect, just like he always remembered. She looked even more amazing and even more beautiful.

"I'll have what he's having," she said, sitting on the stool next to him and meeting his silent glare.

"I see that Beau and Angel didn't call to let you know I was going to be late," she began, putting a hand on his, "Sorry."

He couldn't help but smile. That was the Shalimar he knew. If she was late she was apologetic.

"It's okay," he replied, leaning forward and embracing her, "God, I have missed you."

His whisper was barely audible. She returned the hug, the familiarity of years and sorrow burrowing into him. He wanted to hug her for hours, just to have that feeling of home.

"Me too."

They separated and sat in silence as the bartender poured the drink and Shalimar quickly downed it. She always had been able to drink him under the table. She order another and this time, sipped it.

"Why did you call, Shalimar?" he began, not wanting to fight with her, but trying to hide the annoyance in his voice, "Was I really worth tracking down?"

"Yes, you always will be," she said, meeting his sorrowed gaze, "What the hell is wrong with you? What have I done?"

"Nothing," his voice was soft and distant, "Just an extremely long day, and I have to admit I am a bit stressed out. It's not you. It could never be you."

"I deserve it though, I haven't been the best at keeping in touch," she said, "It's just after..."

"Please, Shal, don't go there," he pleaded, "I don't know if I can take it today."

"You remember what today is?" she asked.

He nodded and thanked the bartender again as she poured him another bourbon. It was a perfect drink to dull the anger and the frustration at the memories. It was the perfect day to get drunk on. She had loved him, and for her to leave like she did was a pain that he had carried every single day since. It left a hole in his heart that he didn't like to admit to. Most of his self-worth had left with her.

"I don't want to think about it, Shalimar," he said, turning on his barstool to look out at the empty street beyond the window, "You came alone?"

"It might be five years, but I still can take care of myself, and Brennan," Shalimar's reply was curt, yet playful, "Let me take of you."

He turned back and met her gaze. It was the sisterly gaze he remembered and loved for years. She wanted to know how he was doing. He didn't know if he could tell her. It hurt too much. He wasn't doing all that well, but he really didn't know if he wanted to be saved.

The exhaustion was eating at him though. She was pushing all the right buttons. She always had that skill.

"Shalimar, I don't need to be taken care of," he protested, "I just need some time"

"Take a walk with me," Shalimar said, standing up and leaving a crisp twenty for the bartender, "We'll talk."

A walk would do him well. He took her hand, grabbed his suit jacket and walked outside with her. The rain had stopped and the air finally felt clean again. They started down the street in silence. The clean air was enhancing his buzz and he felt good. The nerves of seeing her after so long were getting to him. She stopped at the edge of a park, and looked up at him.

"Who the hell are you and what have you done with the Jesse Kilmartin that I once knew?" Shalimar asked, "You look like you have aged twenty years since I last saw you. This is not you."

It might have been the bourbon, but Jesse found her comment to be extremely funny. He laughed and put an arm around her shoulders. Her body language wasn't that of humor. She was pissed at him.

"Dammit, Shal, what have I done now?" Jesse asked, stopping to stare at her.

"It's not the now, Jess, it's the then," Shalimar was angry, her voice low and deadly, "Why did you leave?"

'So, that's it,' he thought to himself, as his surrogate sister stared at him reflecting all of his pain in her eyes, 'She wants to know why I wasn't man enough to stay with them when it all went to hell.'

"As soon as I figure it out Shal, I'll get back to you," Jesse said, his anger and hurt radiating, he had been hoping for a good reunion and this was rapidly turning to hell.

She grabbed his arm.

"You aren't getting away that easily," she continued, "I know why Lexa left, she's kept in touch, but you, I don't get it, and you doing what you're doing now, I don't get it, Jesse."

He glared at her as his arm became intangible. She lost her grip.

"What I am doing now is important," he growled, "I'm protecting the President of the United States, Shalimar, what mutant gets to say that on a regular basis?"

Shalimar stared at him. She wasn't aware that he was that far up on the Secret Service food chain. Jesse noticed her shocked look.

"What, you didn't think I could do it?" Jesse was used to her caution where his personal danger level was concerned, "It's quite the secret gig. I go on all the big events, have an access to the woman that no one else has. I love it."

"No you don't," she said, "It's written all over your face. Why? Why would you go and do this?"

"To protect my country, to serve the country," Jesse started the standard line.

Shalimar's anger was palpable. She let him finish what he was saying, but she had to breathe for a moment so she didn't slug him.

"You done?" she asked.

"Yeah, and I think that we're done," he was raging now; her attitude toward him was sign enough that their meeting was over, "Goodbye Shalimar."

"No, no way are you saying that, Jesse," Shalimar's eyes flashed, "You have to come back with me."

"No, Shalimar, I don't," Jesse turned and headed down the sidewalk, "My days with Mutant X are over."

"No, Jesse, they aren't," she said, realizing what he meant, "We found Adam."


	2. In a LifetimeChapter 2

Chapter 2

Legal Disclaimer-If it was possible, I would own these characters, but due to fanfic, I can play in the driveway. All rights are someone else's.

Author's Note-All righty then. Nice to know you like what I have started here. Laily, or others, if you decide to archive this, please, just let me know where. I would appreciate an email...hint...Animiga, glad to know my other stuff is inspiring you, you have inspired me, so it's all fair! Aniki-No, really, I do have a life, I know you were kidding, but I have been considering going the professional route with my writing again, and this is actually putting me on a daily writing track. Thank you all for your kind thoughts. Oh yeah, while I am at it....Cliffhanger alert.

The shock of that one sentence ate at Jesse's angry persona. The thought of his mentor alive was one thing; the fact that he was also found was another. In his past four years with the Service, he had put tracers out on Adam, only for them to come back as unfound and unsolved, no one had seemed interested in finding "The Creator" or Adam Kane. Adam had been so good at creating identities that he had managed to erase his own, making him a fun case for the trainees in the cyber division of the Service. Jesse had even considered adding him to a terrorist watch list, just so a red flag might pop up unexpectedly, and he could call in those favors due to his position. As an agent, they used him, and in turn, he used them back.

That was the main reason he had joined the Secret Service in the first place. All his time with Mutant X had given him a unique understanding of the world, and how to live in it undetected. The only person who knew of his power was the President. She had been a friend to Adam in his early days and made sure that if any of his people were ever in trouble, they would have employment. She kept his ability a secret, and he in turn protected her life.

He found himself nearly falling onto a bench in the park and speechless. Shalimar watched the angry persona start to fade from his frame and her first instinct was to kick herself for even bringing the subject up. Jesse's feelings toward their last days at Sanctuary had internalized. Adam's leaving them again and his going with the Creator hurt more than any of them liked.

In her own life, she was just coming to terms with it. Brennan hadn't spoken for months afterwards, just stopped her every time she had brought it up. They had stayed together, both out of love and respect for each other, finding jobs they could do without their individual talents being discovered. Shalimar was now a very successful gymnastics instructor while Brennan taught karate and martial arts at the same school. They were comfortable, making money and helping mutants on the side. They were keeping themselves busy and away from the memories of that awful day. Today, the explosion, the terror and the tremendous feeling of separation had come to a head and she was going to force them all to face it, starting with Jesse.

"Are you in contact with him?" Jesse asked, his voice a near whisper.

"We had contact from him, and he was very interested in how all of us were," Shalimar stood behind him, "He wants us all to meet him. Lexa doesn't think it's a trap, but, I want to go."

Jesse didn't reply, his shoulders slumped and he stared at the ground. He was that way for a few minutes, trying to find the words to answer her.

"I can't get away from it," Jesse said softly, "I can get on with my life, have something resembling a normal life, and still, the past comes back to haunt me."

"What is so wrong, Jesse?" Shalimar asked him softly, settling on the bench next to him, "Why are you so angry?"

"That would take too long to explain, Shal," Jesse turned and met her eyes.

The sorrow that radiated in his eyes was scary. She had never seen him look this sad.

"I have time, " Shalimar said, putting an arm around his shoulders.

Jesse tried not to react to her touch. Getting the time off from work was going to be murder, let alone what Shalimar was going to find when they swung by his place. It was inevitable though, and he knew that she would have found out eventually anyway. It had to; it was a master plan to a life that he was realizing was still not his to live. He didn't answer her, but he stood up and put his jacket on.

"I'll go, but I have to make arrangements first, give me a ride home?" he asked, his look more of duty than need, "I walked here."

"Sure," Shalimar smiled at him, but realized it was going to take time to have that smile reflected back at her.

The drive was short; Jesse lived in one of the more discreet areas of Georgetown in a townhouse that bordered the water. It was beautiful and covered in light. Instantly it reminded Shalimar of the Sanctuary they had shared. She shook her head approvingly.

The mixture of plants added to the townhouse, Jesse kept the place up well.

"Beau and Angel found it for me," Jesse explained, pulling his cell phone out, "Sorry, I have to make this call, or we don't go anywhere."

He had to admit, he dreaded this call, because the second he made it, he was admitting acceptance. He was back with Mutant X from that very moment.

"Yes, this is Agent Kilmartin. I need to take Emergency Leave, time indeterminate."

He motioned to Shalimar to have a seat on the couch while he continued with the call, walking through his home gathering the items he knew he would need. He had pulled the emergency trip bag from the hall closet; he had kept one since his first day with the Service. He left it in front of Shalimar, loading it and smiled at her as the call continued, then stopped.

"Do you have to transfer me to her?" his voice was more of concerned annoyance, "It's not a national threat. I really don't want to..."

The voice on the other end of the phone didn't listen, just transferred him.

"Yes, Ms. President," Jesse looked coldly at Shalimar, "Yes, I need this time off, and yes, you are covered. It's my team, I put them in place, and you'll be fine. Thank you; I'll inform you when I can return."

With that, Jesse hung up the phone and put it on the coffee table, ignoring the odd look that Shalimar gave him. He turned and went into the bedroom, and came out seconds later in a t-shirt and jeans, carrying his boots.

"Ready for anything," he said, sitting down next to her, "But, I do have something to tell you. I really don't think you're going to like it."

"After you just having a phone call like that with the President, I don't think that anything will surprise me," Shalimar said, "What?"

Her answer came as the front door opened, opened by the other resident of the townhouse. It was a woman, her face hidden by a large grocery bag.

"Jess? You home?" The redhead asked, "I went and got us dinner."

Shalimar felt her blood run cold. She half expected Jesse to have someone in his life, and she expected to meet this person, but, the voice was a mere memory of a happier time. The woman put the bag down on the hallway table and walked into the living room.

"Emma?" Shalimar gasped.

"Shalimar?" Emma's reply was a mere whisper.


	3. In a LifetimeChapter 3

Chapter 3

Legal Disclaimer-Fireworks, Marvel and other people who should be using them aren't using the copyrights right now, so while they aren't looking...

Author's Note-Yep. She's alive. Now, this story has NOTHING to do with my earlier AU's, so Emma's very much alive, and you'll see the why in this chapter. Also, thanks to E-Bay and delayed by our friends the hurricanes (and I don't mean the football team) I finally got the first 5 discs of Mutant X, including the pilot which I have never seen. Wow. Those discs helped make what you see before you. Again, my reviewers are golden. I love you all.

Here's the next installment...

Jesse pulled his boots on and knelt to pick up the groceries. He kissed Emma's forehead and headed into the kitchen with the bag, ignoring the furious look from Shalimar. He knew it was going to be huge explanation he owed her and he wasn't ready to start talking about it. He put the groceries away, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

"Sorry, Emma, I don't think you're cooking tonight," he said plainly, "Pack a bag, we're going with Shalimar."

"Wait a second, you knew she was alive and you didn't tell us?" Shalimar found her voice and a raging anger that was growing in her soul, "Jesse Kilmartin get your ass back in here."

Emma DeLauro stared at Shalimar, the words forming in her brain but her mouth unable to deliver them. The anger and shock that Shalimar radiated were interfering with her controls, including the simple wave of anger and intense fear that Jesse was running on. Jesse took a deep breath, calmly walked back in, blanking his anger for Emma's sake and with crossed arms, stared at the furious feral. It took everything she had to stay in the room and not run out of it screaming.

"You want to tell her, Em, or should I?" he said, meeting her eyes.

"Maybe you should," Emma found her voice, "I don't think that I can."

"Fine then," Jesse realized that he wanted another drink, "I found her three years ago in the witness protection program. It was part of my early assignments to check on the mutants in the program, and when her name came up on the list, I was angrier than you are, Shal. Adam never told me how far his connections went. The Government was also after Mason. That's why the records at Genomax vanished so quickly."

Shalimar nodded her head. She really wanted to throttle Jesse, but now his reluctance to talk to them was beginning to make sense. Jesse had his secrets about his life, even when they first met. This was a huge secret though, but she realized that Emma's life depended on it.

"I was their contact," Emma interrupted, "I thought I was settled into this new life when Jesse rang my doorbell."

"That must have been interesting," Shalimar started toward her, "You two been together ever since?"

Jesse nodded, putting his hand into Emma's. He held Emma's hand up for Shalimar to see that they both had rings on, versions of their old comm. rings, but encrusted with diamonds.

"24 hours later she was assigned here, and three months after that," Jesse replied, "We were married."

Shalimar stopped for a second. The thought of them together, let alone married was one that was going to take time to process. This was surreal. Not only had one of her best friends surfaced alive, she was married to another best friend. If she wasn't so angry at Jesse she would have hugged them both. Sorrow started to mix with joy when she realized that they couldn't have kept Emma safe if they told the rest of them where she was. Instead, she hugged Emma.

"Wow," Shalimar's surprise was evident, "This explains a whole lot."

"Yeah, I guess it does," Emma replied, looking sideways at Jesse.

The anger had stopped but she could still feel his overwhelming frustration, mixed with an intensification of the fear he had carried around him since they had met again. He didn't want her being discovered again. He wanted her to have the peace she had sought since before they met originally and he had worked night and day in the past three years to insure that. He had given her a new chance at safety, security, and love. They had a life together, a life that was theirs. Jesse was determined to keep it that way, but the past needed to be dealt with, and Jesse was frightened and angry. She could sense that.

The look Jesse gave her was one she didn't have to read his mind to know. The mere thought of them going with Shalimar was killing him, but instinctually she knew he needed to do it. She needed to do it with him.

"They found Adam, Em, and he's asking to see us," he said softly, "Do you want to go?"

Emma glanced back at him. Her look said it all.

"Yes."

Emma kissed his hand and went into the bedroom while Jesse finished packing his emergency bag. Shalimar shook off her stunned look and glared at Jesse.

"You could have told me," she started, "Emma is my friend too. I would have kept the secret."

"She's Brennan's friend as well," Jesse replied, not looking at her, but instead at a picture on the mantle of the four of them, "She was so scared when I saw her, Shalimar, that she blasted me. Me. I fought it off, came back to the house and found her on the floor shaking. I terrified her. She actually thought that my knowing she was alive would be my death sentence. It's taken me years to build up the trust and love that we couldn't have had if I brought her to you guys. You might not understand that, but I do. She needed me and I was there. I just wish I could have been there for her earlier. Luckily, this job worked for me and helped her. I don't want her having to deal with any more secret identities, and any more lies. We both want the truth."

"Fear can blind the truth," Shalimar replied, "This part of that anger you're carrying around?"

"No, that's a whole different thing," Jesse turned back to face her, "Emma's the one thing that's keeping me sane these days, along with work. Telling you she was alive would not have been the best thing for her. She's been through too much and I won't see her go through too much more of it."

Shalimar realized then and there that good old naïve Jesse had grown up. His protective nature of Emma was something she liked seeing, but his mood was still very dark. Hopefully a change of subject would help. They needed to lighten the air. Shalimar switched to a subject that she knew he would smile about.

"Brennan's going to be awfully glad to see you," she began, "He's been talking about you guys playing ball again. He said he wants to prove that he can still beat you."

"He's gotta stop cheating," Jesse smiled, "You can't play with powers. It's just not fair. It will be good to see him though. How's the school going?"

"Great," Shalimar laughed, it felt good to see him smile, "Do you want to drive or you want me to?"

"I probably should follow you, we're starting at your place, right?" Jesse asked, "You guys moved where, outside of Fairfax?"

"Yeah," Shalimar was a little surprised. Not many people knew where she and Brennan lived these days.

He noticed her look. For her, his new life was going to take some getting used to.

"Remember who I work for, I know where everyone is," Jesse replied, his voice growing loud enough to be heard in the other room, "Emma, you packed yet?"

Emma came out of the bedroom with a small suitcase and traveling bag. The Emma that Shalimar once knew would take hours to get the perfect outfits together, so seeing her pack so fast was stunning.

"You driving?" Emma asked, handing him her suitcase.

"Yeah, I will," Jesse sighed, grabbing the car keys, "Why don't you and Shal go together so that you can catch up."

He kissed her lovingly. She returned the kiss, looking deep into his eyes.

"Done," Shalimar met his eyes, he was doing for both of them, "You ready?"

He picked up his suitcase and looked around the townhouse. Something told him this was one of the last times he would see his own version of Sanctuary far away from the sad memories of the original one.

"Yeah, Let's go," he said, following the women out into the world.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Legal disclaimers-Hey, don't own, just have this little corner of the driveway...

Author's Note-So, you guys like. Great. Did I mention it's gonna get darker? Questions been asked, so I'll answer it. Lexa is coming, you'll see...evil laugh. Laily, I know, just let me know if you're gonna put me somewhere, as you see, I signed up and everything.

Please, review, let me know what ya think...

The cityscape of Washington faded from view as Emma Kilmartin stared out the window of Shalimar's car. Jesse had put her in the car with the feral knowing that they had years to catch up on, but the awkward silence was hard to deal with.

"Married," Shalimar said after a few moments of silence, "I never thought you the marrying type."

"Me neither, but, it was right," Emma admitted, "He's truly the best I could have asked for."

Talking about Jesse had broken the ice. She and Shalimar did start to catch up, seeming just like they had put the needle down on an old record. She looked in the rear view mirror. Jesse had chosen their hybrid SUV, knowing it might be needed for whatever terrain they were heading for. He drove behind them, paying more attention to the road then the car in front of him. He was doing some heavy thinking, she knew that from the long trips he took with the Presidential detail and the look he gave her from his spot. Even though she knew that he didn't posses any psychic abilities, their closeness told her everything. They could read each other like a book.

That was the side effect of living with an empath. You never could hide your emotions, ever. You learn to build walls so that you don't read the other person every single moment of the day, but when they are really hurting, you have to have those walls so that they don't hurt you as well. Jesse realized this the moment he put Emma in Shalimar's car, he needed the time to build up his wall.

She waved at him. Jesse noticed her watching him and smiled, putting his hand out the window, and flashed three numbers from his outstretched hand. One, Four and Three. Emma waved and flashed two fingers back at him twice. The first sequence he flashed simply meant, I love you, her reply was me too. The smile had faded, and his look had gone back to the zen of driving, as he liked to call it.

Emma had seen the look. He really didn't want to hurt her, but he was struggling with his emotions over seeing Shalimar again, the thought of Adam alive and the people he was about to face. Driving for him was a way to cope with it, he could work out all the emotions he needed to and be calm when they reached their destination. When they had first gotten back together, he had taken many long drives without her, just so he could gather some of his own control. He loved her more than he liked to ever admit, and felt that they truly completed each other.

Those controls were trying desperately to kick into place. When Adam had left the first time, he found he could control his emotions by just asking questions and spending long nights working off stress in the dojo. When Adam left the second time, he felt so lost. He tried to hold them together, but between Lexa's ties to other places, Brennan's need to run things and Shalimar not knowing which way to turn, he felt their staying together was hopeless.

They turned onto the interstate highway, the traffic thinning out and Jesse switched the stereo on. The radio blared classic rock and started to settle his nerves. It always seemed that no matter what horrible mood he dropped into, usually songs from the 70's and 80's could pull him out of it. Maybe it was too many years in clubs had dulled his taste for the pop of now, but he needed some music that had lyrics and a story to go with them.

Shalimar turned off at a desolate exit and drove along a forested road. Emma had kept the window down, breathing in the beginning of a cool nights air.

"It's so beautiful out here," Emma commented, "The air is so clean. Where on earth did you guys find it?"

"Believe it or not," Shalimar began, slowing down till she saw Jesse pull up behind them, "Brennan found it through a job he had. I loved this drive and told him that we had to move here, even if we didn't like the house."

Emma laughed. That was so typical of Shalimar. She had to have the control over where they lived, but it had to have nature, or she wouldn't have any part of it. They continued down the forested road and turned off onto a dirt driveway.

"We're here," Shalimar announced, pulling in, "Just wait till you see it."

In the twilight, Emma could tell the house was one of the older homes that you only hear about in auctions. Two story, colonial from the old days, and it had the look like they were in the stages of fixing it up. Shalimar had explained to Emma that while Brennan was making a good amount of money teaching kids martial arts, he also had made their house a place where they both could work and have a life together. They also housed mutants in need, so that everyone was welcome. Emma and Jesse would not have to worry about a room; the house was big enough for a basketball team. They had considered turning it into a bed and breakfast when they were completely done with it.

Jesse drove in behind them, his appreciation of the house growing. His file on Brennan and Shalimar included the actual location of the house and a picture, but the picture did not do it justice. It was still in renovation, but it was gorgeous. Jesse parked and got out of the SUV, pulling Emma and his bags out of the car quickly. Shalimar parked and got out, key in hand to open the door. They followed her inside.

The house entered into a huge great room, a large fireplace on one wall, stairs leading down from the upstairs level in front of them and seating all over the room. Instantly it reminded Jesse of the large spaces in Sanctuary.

"Brennan?" she yelled, popping her keys on the hook next to the door, "I'm home."

"I figured, I heard you drive up," Brennan said coming down the stairs from above them, his back to the small group, "You talk to Jesse?"

Jesse put the suitcases down and took Emma's hand. It was shaking. He winked at her.

"Sure did," Jesse said, a laugh hiding in his voice.

Brennan turned at the bottom of the stairs. His joy of seeing Jesse was only echoed by the shock of seeing the woman next to him.

"Emma?" he whispered.

Emma shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. Brennan ran across the great room and pulled her into a bear hug. Emma started to laugh and stopped as Brennan took her face in his hands.

"I thought you were dead," he said, stunned, "I know that this is a huge story. I just want to hug you again."

He did, and Jesse smiled at Shalimar. It was good to feel like he was with family again. Emma laughed again, then coughed.

"Bren, I'm glad to see you again, but I need a second to breathe," she said, pushing him back playfully, "Besides, you didn't hug Jesse like this."

"Just wait," Brennan gave her a devilish look and turned to his friend.

"Hey," Jesse said, putting his hand out.

"What's this handshake crap?" Brennan replied, bear hugging Jesse, "God, I have missed you, bro."

Jesse returned the hug, laughing as well.

"Me too," Jesse's voice was a near whisper, "You don't know how much I have missed you."

Brennan stood back from their hug and looked into Jesse's eyes. The old bond was still there. He knew just from the look that he had his brother back.

"I want to know everything, but I just made a room for you guys upstairs, take a second and settle in, I've started dinner," Brennan grinned, "Hope you like Italian."

Brennan's pasta was a favored treat from their old days at Sanctuary. The mere thought of Brennan's meatballs made Jesse's mouth water. He also realized that he was starving.

"That sounds perfect," Jesse laughed, "And it's weird to see you so domestic."

"I've trained him well," Shalimar grinned as Brennan grabbed the bags and headed upstairs, "I'll go stir the sauce."

"Thanks babe," Brennan grabbed Jesse by the shoulder, "Let me show you where you guys are."

Shalimar and Emma headed into the large kitchen that was just off the great room while the other two headed upstairs. Brennan led Jesse into a large bedroom with a sitting room and a bathroom. Even in the dying light it was a beautiful room and like nothing that Jesse had expected.

"This is amazing," he said, putting his suitcase down, "I can't believe this house. It's so you."

"Thanks," Brennan replied, "A lot of hard work went into it, but I have to admit I love it. How have you been?"

"Busy, very busy," Jesse replied, meeting the look that Brennan gave him, "I'm sorry I have been so horrible at contacting you guys, I just..."

"Man, it's forgiven," Brennan began, "You were keeping Emma safe. That's explanation enough. How is she though? My god it's so amazing to see her. I mean where, when?"

Jesse sat on the edge of the bed while Brennan settled into a chair across from him.

"My new job had me checking on mutants in the witness protection program," Jesse began, "I knocked on her door and well, after we recovered from the shock, I brought her back to DC. We were married three months later."

"Married?" Brennan was stunned, "I never thought you were the type."

Jesse continued, rubbing his eyes. While the drive had calmed him down, his lack of sleep was catching up with him.

"Yeah, I know. It was the right time and the right place, she's an amazing woman and I am the better for it. That was three years ago," he watched as Brennan put the timing together, "We needed the time to put our lives together."

"Gotya," Brennan replied, "She okay?"

"Seems to be," Jesse resisted every urge that came over him to lie down on the bed and go to sleep, "She works at a bookstore in Georgetown while I work for the Secret Service."

"You're a G Man?" Brennan smiled, "I thought we hated those guys."

"Nah, these guys are actually pretty cool," he stifled a yawn, "I'm on the Presidential detail."

Brennan stopped and stared at him. The Jesse he knew wasn't political and the thought of him being in government work made sense, but it was still hard to swallow. Presidential detail meant that he was way up in the Service, let alone just a simple bodyguard. Jesse had followed Adam into the world of serious connections. Something wasn't right with his body language, though.

"What, you're surprised?" Jesse watched the reaction with a guarded look, "God, between you and Shalimar you're acting like I'm working for Genomax or something. This is a great job."

"Just amazed at how time has changed us all, marriage and work. Shal and I have a school that's doing well, you guys are married, but Jesse, you're not happy," Brennan noted, "What the hell is eating you?"

"Stress," Jesse's one word reply was followed by the rumbling of his stomach.

"and hunger it seems," Brennan got up and put a hand out for Jesse to get up, "Come on, let's go eat and see about getting your stress out afterward, I even built a dojo here in the basement."

Jesse took a second and sighed. Food was the best idea. He let Brennan help him up and headed downstairs to a good meal with old friends.


	5. In a LifetimeChapter 5

Chapter 5

Legal disclaimer-The rights to these characters do not belong to me, do dah, do dah, they belong to others that...do nothing for me...

Author's Note-To put it simply-turn on a light someone, darkness approaches. Thank you to those who keep reviewing, and those who keep reading, I love you all. Rewatching DVD's is a wonderful thing. And I love commentaries.

Here you go....

After the plates had been cleared, the rest of the house toured, including their own work area for mutant needs, and a computer set up to rival the computer room at Emma and Jesse's, Emma called it a night and headed upstairs to bed. Shalimar also turned in, her plans to get them on the road in the am planned as well. Brennan had looked at Jesse as the women headed for bed, and Jesse acknowledged it. They were going to have some time to really talk. The nagging feeling that Jesse had was not wanting to talk.

Brennan and Jesse found themselves on the back porch, downing beers and staring at the star filled sky.

"This is so bizarre," Jesse said after a few moments of silence.

"What?" Brennan asked.

"I didn't think that I would ever be sitting here with you, at your house with Shalimar, let alone married to Emma," Jesse admitted, "I never thought this would happen."

"I know," Brennan agreed, then asked the question that was bugging him, "Jesse, man, what is eating you?"

"What do you mean?" Jesse asked, eyes to the stars, "I'm fine."

"No, you're not," Brennan continued, knowing the right words to get him to talk, "Talk to me. You fell off the radar, I know Emma makes a great excuse, but what did we do? You seem so pissed off."

Jesse had been expecting the barrage, but let it hit him like a bullet when he was massed. The words simply fell to the floor.

"It wasn't you, Brennan," Jesse stared at the sky, "It was Lexa."

"She had things she had to do man," Brennan handed him another beer, "My god, it's been five years. You cannot keep beating yourself up about her leaving you."

"Is that what she told you?" Jesse asked, turning to face him and try to hide the hurt that came up at the mention of her name, "Because it's not the truth."

"The truth is, it was five years ago," Brennan continued, "You have got to let it go. Stress or not, you don't look well at all. You're very angry, you didn't seem to want to ever be found, let alone keep in touch with anyone. We missed you more than you know, Jesse."

"Yeah, I know," Jesse's reply was soft, "I just don't want to get into it Brennan, can't you see that?"

"You're going to have to," Brennan wasn't going to let it die, "Lex is going to be here in the am."

"Adam asked for her as well, didn't he."

"Yeah, he did," Brennan hesitated at his reply, Jesse's mood was growing very dark, "She was there when we found the creator, she knows everything that is going on. She earned her spot."

"Wonderful," Jesse didn't hide the sarcasm that crept into his voice, "I can't wait for her to meet Emma."

"That gonna be a problem?" Brennan asked.

"Along the lines of 'Ex-lover meets beloved wife'?" Jesse laughed bitterly, "Yes."

"Wow, I didn't know you guys had gone that far," Brennan downed his beer, "Explains a lot."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Brennan, just get over it," Jesse growled, the alcohol and exhaustion finally dropping his emotional control, "You and Shal have been on me since this afternoon and frankly, it's none of your business who I have become. I'm happy with my life, and want to keep it that way."

Brennan was a little stunned. It was out of Jesse's character to lash out like that.

"Ok, your current life is out of bounds," Brennan started, taking another beer out of the cooler, "Sorry."

"Thanks, and sorry, just a very long day," Jesse met his friends' concerned look, "You didn't deserve that."

"It's okay, I can take it, anyway, I am happy that you found Emma and that you are together," he smiled, "Although I did meet her first."

"And have I ever thanked you for that?" Jesse retorted, "No, seriously, We have a great life. She's the world to me, Bren."

"I can see that," Brennan downed the last of his beer as Jesse finished his.

He took the bottle and threw it into the air. Pointing a finger, electricity lit up the night sky and hit the bottle, shattering it into pieces.

"Still got it, I see," Jesse laughed, his laugh a little drunk, "Nice to see that."

"Yeah, nice to use it," Brennan grinned, "Thanks for finding out that my expiration date was right after yours."

"Hidden files are still one of my specialties," Jesse sat back, trying not to fall asleep right there, "After discovering that the gene therapy that he used on you, Shalimar and myself worked, it was a pleasure to use it on Lexa. Emma, it turns out had an earlier expiration than me."

"Really?" Brennan was thinking about asking Jesse that, but by her merely being on the planet proved she had passed her date.

"Yeah," Jesse yawned, "I'm sorry, it's not you, I just have to sleep."

"You gonna make it upstairs or am I going to have to carry you?" Brennan gave him a sideways glance.

"No, I'm good," Jesse stood up and held out a hand for Brennan, "Thanks for the beers. I guess you're going to have me work them off tomorrow?"

"Hoops at dawn, my man," Brennan laughed, getting up, "Sleep well, you've earned it."

Jesse headed up the stairs, and into the darkened room that he shared with Emma. She woke up as he climbed into bed, his catlike stealth failing. He had yanked his shirt off, thrown on a pair of shorts that he packed, and had tried desperately to climb in bed without waking her.

"Good talk with Brennan?" she asked sleepily, curling into the nook of his arm, "You were down there an awfully long time."

"Yeah, it was a good talk," he said softly, kissing her on the top of her head, "I needed it, I think. Tomorrow's not going to be easy though. Lexa arrives sometime in the morning."

Emma shifted so that her head was on Jesse's chest. He was trembling as he said it. The wall that he built around his emotions stood pretty strong against saying Lexa's name, but he could feel the cracks forming. He took a deep breath to steady his thoughts.

"You were going to have to face her eventually," Emma said softly, "It's good that it's now."

"Yeah, I know, I'm just not looking forward to it," Jesse's voice was extremely low and somewhat deadly sounding, "I know that I have to bring up the past, Em, but I don't want to."

"We'll get through it together," Emma put her hand on his chest, "You have got to sleep, Jesse, you need the rest."

"I know," he said, closing his eyes and pulling Emma a little closer, "Thanks for being here for me."

"Forever, you know that," she said as she felt him drift off.

Luckily she didn't have to use her powers, his own emotional and physical exhaustion took over. He was asleep at last, and she could finally feel him calming down. She closed her eyes and silently prayed that the next morning would bring him peace.

Downstairs, a similar scene played out as Brennan climbed into bed with Shalimar. She had curled up on their large four poster bed with a pillow ready for him, and was awake from the moment the door opened. She always slept like that, so he had tried to be quiet, but laughed as she patted the pillow for him.

"How is he, really?" she asked, shifting so that Brennan could be more comfortable, "When I saw him at the bar he looked so lost and angry. I thought it was us, but with Emma's protection, his job, and the news that Adam's alive, I can't read him anymore."

"He's grown up a hell of a lot," Brennan commented, turning out the light by the bed, "He won't tell me what, but something horrible happened with Lexa. He's still hurting from it."

"Five years later?" Shalimar was shocked, "What could she have done?"

"I don't know, hon, but it's hurt him pretty badly," Brennan said, staring at the dark ceiling, "I don't know where he would be if he hadn't found Emma."

Shalimar didn't like to think like that. Something was still eating Jesse. It was great to see him in a life that he was well suited for, and seemingly happy, but the mention of his life with Mutant X had put him in an angry tailspin. If Lexa was the cause, then she truly had screwed up because she had never seen him this angry. She secretly hoped that he would sleep tonight, because tomorrow was going to have its promises of instability and confusion.

Emma felt the nightmare start before she could see it on Jesse's face. He shifted and twitched in his sleep, his face contorting in the midst of the terror that his subconscious was inflicting on him. She put a hand to his face and simply put her mind to the task of soothing the fear and trying to change the channel of the nightmare that played in his mind. For a moment, it worked, because he stopped moving, then Emma found her hand slipping through him as he phased.

He landed under the bed with a loud thump.

"Damn," he said, waking up and realizing where he was, "Sorry, Emma."

Emma sat up and arranged the pillows so that they both could sit up in bed as he climbed back into bed, rubbing the back of his head. As he got into bed, she settled down on his chest so that he had someone close to him. From experience, this was something he needed.

"Nightmare?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied, "Not surprised by it though. Thanks for the attempt to get me out of it, though."

"You're welcome, anything else I can do to help?" Emma said sleepily, "You need the sleep."

"If you can make sure tomorrow never comes," Jesse muttered, "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Never be, I'm here," Emma shifted so she could look into his eyes, "I love you."

"And I love you," Jesse whispered, "Always remember that."

He kissed her on her forehead and again tried to get back to sleep. She stayed in her spot, not moving till she felt him calm once again. His breathing had changed and he was deep in sleep. Finally. She tried to fall asleep herself, but was fearing that he would wake up again since he was so upset that he would have to face the past tomorrow. She wished it was already here.


	6. In a LifetimeChapter 6

Chapter 6

Legal Disclaimer-The rights don't belong to me, they belong to other people.

Author's note-Lexa alert. I know that I am going to really rile some shippers, but I hope you'll see the why's and how's. I'm having far too much fun with this. Thanks for the reviews that keep me going.

Here's the next installment

The bright sunlight was not the first thing that Jesse Kilmartin had hoped to see. His eyes opened to it, and he felt an urge to run back from it. He pulled the covers over his head and tried to go back to sleep. It wasn't going to happen. He sat up and realized that he was at Shalimar and Brennan's and he was alone.

He also felt like he had a ball of fuzz growing on his tongue. It must have been the beer he had the night before. He laughed, it had been years since he had a hangover.

He got up slowly and tried to pull the blinds down in the room. Getting closer to the window, he knew that brighter light was not the answer. It hurt pretty bad.

He grabbed a shirt and his sunglasses from the top of his suitcase and went downstairs to the smell of bacon, eggs and pancakes. Shalimar was cooking breakfast. Even with the hangover, he could stand the smell of food, so he knew that he would be okay. He walked into the kitchen where Shalimar was working on the bacon and with a smile to his wife, snuck up behind Shalimar.

"That smells wonderful," he said, kissing her on the cheek, "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," Shalimar smiled, "Seems like you got some sleep last night."

"And woke up with a nasty hangover, what did Brennan have for beer last night, something imported?" Jesse moaned, as Emma handed him a glass of orange juice and some aspirin.

"Always," Shal turned and faced him, bacon on a plate, "I assume you still eat like a football team."

"Yeah, still do," he took the plate from her and put it on the table, "And I'll even clean up."

"Thank you," Shalimar sat down to her plate of food and a cup of coffee, "You did sleep last night, right?"

Emma's smile turned into a coy laugh.

"What?" Jesse's headache caused him to miss the point.

"Well, I heard a loud thump," Shalimar admitted, "It's not that I have any problem with..."

"No, no, not that," Emma blushed and looked at Jesse who finally got what Shal was getting at, "Jesse had a nightmare and phased through the bed."

"Thanks," Jesse's look was mock angry yet devilish, "You could have had her thinking..."

"I was thinking that," Shalimar interrupted, "More importantly, you had a nightmare? Jesse, come on, what could have caused that?"

Jesse looked at Shalimar while Emma refused to look at him. He hadn't had a nightmare in years, let alone one where he phased, so the mere thought of one while with the team could have made sense, but he was ready to dismiss it to the stress of hearing that Adam was alive.

"Could be the traumas of yesterday, Shal, nothing to worry about," he continued eating, "Anyway, you wanted us to get on the road today?"

"Yes, I did," Shalimar began, "You have enough time to finish your plate, clean up and we'll get moving, Adam's message wants us to meet him at a diner outside of town, but, he was very specific that we carry clothes with us. Seems like he wants to see us for several days, and as usual..."

"Wouldn't give us any details," Brennan added, walking into the kitchen.

He looked at Jesse.

"What's with the sunglasses? Hangover?" he asked, in mock shock, "You?"

"You forgot how much I love imported beer, bro," Jesse replied, pulling the sunglasses down to reveal his bloodshot eyes, "Now if the jackhammer would stop in my head, I might be worth playing some hoops with you, but since you remembered me and imports, well..."

"I can try to..." Emma offered.

"No, honey, thank you, but I think I need to keep this one to remind me," he smiled at her, "I need to remember how bad this feels."

"The aspirin is helping, right?" Emma asked, putting a hand over his.

"Give it a few more minutes and it should," Jesse said, pushing the glasses back up his nose, "Thanks though."

"I see it didn't affect your appetite," Brennan said, patting Jesse on the shoulder, "You sleep okay?"

"Yeah, I think it's the country air," Jesse continued, "Good sleep and great appetites."

"Sounds like you needed it, bro," Brennan settled into a chair next to him, "All we need now is Lexa and we can get this show on the road."

Jesse stopped eating for a second, looked at Emma, then kept eating. Shalimar noticed the look, gave Brennan a look, then glanced at Emma. Emma shot her a look that simply said, 'I'm not talking'. Shalimar let it slide. Lexa would be here soon enough. Then they would know, or it would be glacier time.

The silence continued while they ate, small talk being mainly about how the school would run while Brennan and Shalimar were away, and Emma talking about her new love of books in the bookstore. Jesse finished his meal and picked up every empty plate, brought them to the sink and washed every single one of them by hand. Brennan offered to help, but Jesse brushed him off, explaining that this was his ritual at home and he preferred it, because it simply helped him start his day. Brennan couldn't argue that and went to get his day started with a workout in the outside dojo.

Emma and Shalimar continued to drink coffee and chat, catching up on the things they used to love to talk about. Guys and fashion.

Jesse finished the dishes, walked over, kissed Emma on the cheek then excused himself heading upstairs for a shower and a change of clothes. He could hear Brennan working out, and while he was curious to what this dojo of his looked like, he knew that he would be better set by simply getting a shower in.

He was in the shower when the doorbell rang. Emma sat drinking her coffee as Shalimar went and got it, and heard the usual joys of greeting an old friend. Lexa Pierce was finally here. Emma slowly got up and walked into the other room, steeling herself for the meeting.

The conversation stopped as she entered the room. She was facing Lexa and Shalimar which gave her a moment to look at this woman who Jesse clearly dreaded seeing again. Lexa Pierce fit Jesse's description of her perfectly. From her dark hair, dark eyes, a killer smile, and a together look that came from years of working out, Emma could see that many of the sentences that he used to describe her were on target. In addition, she carried an air of suspicion around her, one he described as a sincere lack of trust of the human race. She could sense that from the moment that Lexa looked at her.

"Emma, come meet Lexa Pierce," Shalimar said, waving her over, "Lexa this is Emma."

Emma walked over slowly, putting up the wall she used when meeting new people. From what she knew about Lexa from Jesse, she was a nice person, but she felt instantly like she couldn't trust her, due to all the hurt and pain that she caused him.

Lexa gave her a stunned look. Emma had grown used to that look.

"Emma DeLauro?" Lexa asked, the shock not hiding in her voice, "You're alive."

"Last time I checked," she replied, taking the woman's outstretched hand, "You're Lexa Pierce."

Lexa shook her hand quickly then let go, turning back to Shalimar.

"This is a story I know I want to hear," Lexa began, her eyes meeting Shalimar's, "How long have you been back with these guys?"

"Shalimar and Brennan, almost 24 hours, Jesse, 3 years," Emma replied.

"Three years," Lexa stated, then looked at Shalimar, "Well, then, this is an interesting turn of events."

"Indeed," Emma replied, her look to Shalimar extremely blank, "You drive long to get here?"

"Yes," Lexa replied, putting her suitcase down then looking around the house, "How about you?"

"Jesse and I are in D.C.," she answered, watching Lexa's reactions to the house, "It wasn't that long of a drive."

"My god, you and Brennan have done a great job with this place," she said, looking around, "This is amazing."

"We have a room for you upstairs," Shalimar said, taking her suitcase, "I don't think we're going to be staying here, though."

"That's what his message said, huh?" Lexa asked, "When did he want us in contact with him?"

"Just gave me a location and time to contact, Lexa, nothing more," Shalimar replied, "You want a second to sit down."

"Yeah, I would love it," Lexa said, heading for the overstuffed couch on the opposite wall, "Where's Brennan?"

"Dojo out back," Emma replied, settling into one of the chairs in the great room, "He wanted to work out this morning."

"And Jesse?" Lexa asked lightly, "Did he come here with you?"

"Yes, actually he did," Emma replied, "He's taking a shower."

Emma's mood was welcoming yet guarded. Shalimar sensed it, her pack mentality going a tad haywire where Jesse was concerned. She protected him like a cub, but when the cubs were fighting, it was harder and harder to keep the peace. They would have to face whatever it was before they continued to Adam's destination.

Lexa settled in, looking around the room and enjoying the light that the morning brought in.

"So, what was this message of Adam's?" Lexa began, watching both of them for a reaction, "Any code, any message, or just a date and time?"

"Just a meeting place, and a meeting time," Shalimar replied, "He was vague as usual."

Emma smiled. Typical Adam. The details were left for when they were face to face. That was the habit and the condition.

"So, when is this meet?" Lexa continued, "And are we all on this invite list?"

"Tonight and yes, we are all on the invite list," Shalimar answered, "Although Emma's going be a surprise, Adam will welcome her like he did you."

That sent a clear message to Lexa to back off where Emma was concerned. Emma also caught the sentiment behind Shalimar's reply. She needed to back off as well. She took a deep breath and smiled at Shalimar. She got the message. She just didn't know if Lexa did.

"Adam will freak when he sees you," Lexa said plainly, "He did think that you were dead. As did we all."

She didn't get it.

"I'm very much alive, and happy," Emma smiled back at her, a smile that Shalimar realized was not the one she needed to see, "And so is Jesse."

"Lexa?" Brennan interrupted, coming in from the kitchen, "I thought that was you."

Lexa jumped up and turned around to hug him.

"Hey there sexy, still working out I see," she laughed as she hugged him, "Still miss me kicking your butt?"

"I believe I was the one who kicked your butt," Brennan replied, kissing her on the cheek, "Nice to see you all are getting acquainted and catching up. I'm gonna take a shower and we can get going."

"That would be great, I want to be on the road by noon, Brennan," Shalimar said, kissing him on the lips, "Please. And if you can get Jesse to get a move on."

"What, he's taking forever in the shower?" Brennan laughed, "That would be our Jesse."

Jesse was in the shower, with the water hotter than he could stand it, just so he could steel himself to the voices downstairs. He knew he was going to see Lexa again, it was inevitable, but he had no clue on how to handle himself. He had admitted to himself that the day she left, he had lost most of his self-worth, a worth that he was slowly replacing in his marriage to Emma. It was a long rebuild though, and while they had discussed it, Emma was rather upset at how badly Lexa had treated him in leaving. Jesse had never told her the real reason just that it had been very messy. He shut the shower off, toweled off and dressed quickly. He needed this meeting to happen and to happen now.

He walked downstairs, passing Brennan on the stairs. The look his surrogate brother gave him said it all. Good Luck. Brennan was a good read of the situation.

Jesse took a deep breath and turned at the bottom of the stairs. Lexa Pierce looked amazing. Stunning, actually. Her hair was still long, she had pulled it back in a ponytail and was a little thinner than he remembered. At the same time, she still had the beautiful eyes he remembered and the lightning smile.

She looked up at him and lit that smile.

"Hiya Jess," she said, walking toward him, "It's so good to see you."

Jesse smiled back at her. It was good to see her. She reached out to hug him and he put an arm around her, but didn't give her the full hug she was expecting. He kept his eyes on Emma who had her walls up high. She wasn't too happy to be in the room with Lexa without him.

"I see you've met Emma," he said, letting Lexa go and sitting on the couch next to Emma.

"Yes, and I am a bit surprised that you didn't tell any of us," Lexa began, "I mean we all should have known that she was alive."

"Not when you're in the witness protection program, Lexa," Emma replied, "I'm right here, so you can stop talking about me like I'm not."

Jesse had to stifle a laugh. He was thinking the same thing. Lexa stopped and stared.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "You took me off guard. According to everything that I know from Adam's files and the Dominion, you died taking out Mason Eckhart."

"So I have been told," Emma's voice was cold, "But the reality is that I was put in the witness protection program, given a new name, identity and life for turning in the bastard to the authorities. Adam knew this, why he never told you guys, I have no clue. Jesse found me three and a half years ago."

"Found?" Lexa asked.

"I work for the secret service now," Jesse replied.

"Secret Service," Lexa repeated, "Never figured you the government type."

"Never figured you the spy, Lexa, we all have our secrets," Jesse replied, trying to hide the growl in his voice, "You lost the right to know what happened to me when you left."

Lexa glared at him. She hadn't expected his anger. It was hard to know that he was upset at her, his face was completely impassive. The words he used though, said enough to her to know that she had hurt him.

"I did what I had to," she said softly, "I hope you can believe that."

Jesse didn't reply, just squeezed Emma's hand then got up and left the room. He walked into the kitchen and onto the back porch, pulling his sunglasses back on. His emotional state was shattering from a sense of calm to extreme anger and he didn't want to frighten any of them.

"What is that all about?" Shalimar asked, "He's been horribly moody since your name was mentioned, Lex, you might want to tell us what happened."

"I don't think I want to be here when you talk about it, Lexa," Emma said, getting up, "I'm going to go check on Jesse."

Shalimar glared at Emma. It wasn't like her to leave. This was pretty bad.

"Go on, make sure he's okay, will you?" Lexa said softly, "It's about time the story came out."

"Which version?" Emma asked pointedly, "His or yours? Because you managed to hurt him very badly, Lexa. I hope you can see that."

"And what would you know about him, Emma?" Lexa spat, her anger at his attitude beginning to surface, "You only worked with him for two years, I slept with him."

"Plenty," Emma growled, "I'm his wife."


	7. In a LifetimeChapter 7

Chapter 7

Legal disclaimer-I don't own them. Nope, sure don't.

Author's Note-Lookout, it's going to get really bad. BAD. I have rewritten this segment about three times. I might offend some folks, but remember, it has to be pretty bad to set Jesse off. The subject matter here is not for the kids here. Thanks and review please. I'll take the tomatoes with the golden eggs on this one. Reviews appreciated!

Jesse took several deep breaths and found the control that he knew he had over his emotions. In his few years with Emma she had taught him control and he had taken to it like a duck in water. The fact that Lexa's mere presence was muddling with his control was pissing him off. He had kept their breakup so much to himself that he realized then and there that he really should have done something when she left him. There was no one to turn to though. Brennan and Shalimar had started their relationship and he was not going to be the third wheel.

Instead, he struck off on his own and licked his wounds. He got a job away from Mutant X, moved, and got himself a life. The bonus was the day he found Emma. He could have the best of both worlds and a wife that adored him. That was what he needed. That was his life now.

Lexa Pierce being unfinished with him, that part, had eaten him alive. Emma knew he was still hurting. She felt the wound reopen the moment he saw Lexa. It was fresh and palpable. She found him out on the back porch, his hair glistening in the morning sunlight.

"She's telling Shal her version of the story, isn't she?" Jesse asked, not turning around to Emma.

He knew she was there instantly. He had known her actions from the day they married. Love did that, you always made sure that the other person was okay, no matter what. He knew that she would help him with his pain. He had helped her with hers.

"Yeah, I think so," Emma replied, "Jesse, can you calmly go back in there?"

"You tell me," Jesse said, turning around and physically shaking, "It's really hard, Em."

"You need to do this," Emma said, putting her hand out to him, "Settle it. You need to for Adam's sake and your own. They need to know."

"I know," Jesse took her hand and slowly walked back into the house.

While Jesse was gathering his thoughts, Shalimar was trying to get the story out of Lexa. Lexa had never spoken about her personal feelings toward Jesse to Shalimar, she always felt it awkward since Shalimar was more like a sister to him. She had really loved Jesse. She knew that he loved her as well, and that the love he had for her was deep. She took a moment and put her thoughts together.

"I'm the reason that Jesse left, Shalimar," she began, meeting the other woman's eyes, "I found out that I was pregnant."

"Wait a second," Shalimar sat, "You were pregnant and Jesse left you?"

"No, I left him," Lexa began, sitting with Shalimar, "I didn't know what to do. The mere thought of me with a child was something I never imagined let alone wanted. The thought of two mutants with our abilities having a child was completely overwhelming. We were facing our expiration dates and I did not want a child growing up without parents like I did."

"Makes perfect sense, to some," Shalimar said, trying to soothe the anxiety out of Lexa, "How did he find out? I know he passed his expiration date."

"I couldn't even bring myself to tell him. He found a pregnancy test in our bathroom."

"Wow. So, he's excited thinking he's going to be a dad and you're.."

"Completely and utterly terrified," she continued, turning away from Shalimar and looking the direction that Jesse had fled to, "I didn't know what to do."

"You could have told me," Jesse replied, as he and Emma came into the room, "I could have helped you."

"Yeah, how?" Lexa spat, her anger coming out, "Tell me that we weren't in horrendous shape when I found out I was pregnant. We were in that fleabag motel in Arizona, Jesse, we barely had enough money for food, let alone the room."

Shalimar nodded, she remembered the days after the explosion in Sanctuary by the places they stayed. That was a week after everything went to hell. They found money the next week, once Lexa had left. Jesse had managed to uncover a secure account that got them into a safehouse. It had only been a minor setback at the time, but, it had been a week of hell.

"We got by, Lexa, we stayed together," Jesse said calmly, "You're the one who left."

"I had to, I had to get out of there," Lexa continued, her anger growing, "You could have come with me, but you refused."

"I didn't refuse, I proposed and you ran away," Jesse squeezed Emma's hand, he hadn't told her any of this, and did not want to hurt her, "You sent me a postcard from Denver, where you were then back in with the leftovers of the Dominion. You never even gave me a chance to help. I wanted to, I loved you and you threw me away."

Jesse's voice broke and he felt the tears come. They had been held back for years. Emma stood fast next to him, her calmness to his anger a balance he fed off. She held his hand tightly. She wasn't going anywhere.

"I didn't throw you away," Lexa said, getting up to face him, "Jesse, I couldn't face it. We couldn't have had a child in those conditions."

"You're lying," he said, his voice getting hoarse, "You could too face it. Do you remember what the last thing was that you said to me? Are you still so stuck in the lie that you don't remember? Or do you think it to be true?"

"Jesse," Shalimar's voice was soft as she handed him a tissue, "Don't."

"No, I have to do this, Shal, I've been sitting on it for far too long," Jesse continued, as he watched Lexa being reduced to tears, "Do you remember?"

"No," she said softly.

"Liar," he spat, "You remember, and I know you do. You left me with it, and I cannot forgive you for it. I've been carrying those words with me for the past five years, Lexa. They cut me to my soul and it's time they cut back."

Lexa started to cry, her tears running down her face. Brennan had entered the room as Jesse had, but from his vantage point, this was getting very ugly. He wanted to jump in, but doing so would stop the process, and he knew instinctively to let it happen. He could help pick up the pieces afterward.

"Jesse, I was scared," Lexa cried, "What did you want me to do?"

"I wanted you to let me and us help you," Jesse let go of Emma's hand and his voice started to raise, "You didn't realize it, but you had become part of a family. You shoved me away and shoved away the family that you had built here. You've lied to Shalimar, blamed me for your leaving, then you alienated Shalimar and Brennan from me. Don't you get it? Don't you remember what you said?"

"No," she repeated.

"I'll remind you then," Jesse was shouting, but the pain was finally releasing, "You said you could never have the child of a FREAK, being a freak yourself. You then told me that you had an abortion to make sure that it never happened."

Shalimar stopped. The pain in Jesse's voice explained everything. He hurt so badly for years that a life was lost due to Lexa's lack of trust. In the years she had known him Jesse always had been for women's rights, but he was hurting because of what could have been. He was so torn, he knew a woman had a right to choose, and respected that, but Lexa's choice wasn't even something he could have been involved in. She had made the choice for him and he hated her for it. In that instant, he had grown up.

Brennan stared at him. When Jesse wanted to talk, he did. The emotion behind it spoke volumes. Emma in turn shook with the energy that Jesse had released in that one sentence. His emotional wall was down and in pieces. He sat on a chair, his head in his hands, shoulders shaking. Lexa sat in an opposite chair, sobbing quietly.

"About time that came out," Brennan said, breaking the eerie silence that had covered the room.

Lexa laughed bitterly. She felt like she had betrayed the whole room.

"You okay?" Emma asked Jesse, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Jesse didn't answer, just nodded. He was crying as well. His wall was down and the hurt and pain he hid behind it were beginning to come out. Emma could feel it and knelt down next to him. Gently, she lifted his face to meet hers.

"You hid all of that from me?" she asked.

Through his tears, he nodded. It felt good to release all the anger and pain, but once again, he felt alone. The moment Lexa had called him a freak he felt like his world had shattered. He could withstand anything, even the destruction of Sanctuary, as long as he was loved. When she said that, after all of his trust and love had gone into their relationship, he was wounded deeply. And this was a wound that didn't heal. It became infected with anger, distrust and rage.

Emma wrapped her arms around his shoulders and let him cry. He needed it.

Shalimar went and checked on Lexa. She held her friend through the tears.

Eventually, both of them stopped crying and Jesse found the ability to speak.

"Emma, get me out of here, okay?" he whispered.

Emma helped him up and they left the room together. Emma flashed a look to Brennan that simply said 'later' and led Jesse back out onto the back porch. She settled him onto the stairs and held him. Jesse didn't talk, just felt exhausted and in need of a good thousand yard stare. Emma hugged him until he stopped shaking. He kissed her on the top of the head and just held her.


	8. In a LifetimeChapter 8

Chapter 8

Legal Disclaimer- These copyrights are owned by others. This has been a recording.

Author's Note-Okay, you liked Chapter 7. I admit this is more of an angsty, pissed Jesse piece than I like to admit, but, you'll see what I am up to shortly. Review, for god's sake, review.

It had taken a while, but after Jesse was able to calm himself down, he wound up going into the great room with Brennan. Lexa and Shalimar had left, Shalimar mentioning that a walk might help Lexa calm down, and also to give the two a chance to talk. Emma in turn went upstairs and packed her and Jesse's clothes. They were still on to leave at noon, and that was something that Shalimar was going to stick to, bad blood between the team members or not.

Jesse still had the thousand yard stare that he had when he was on the back porch with Emma. Brennan knew he was listening to him though, Jesse was answering him on a regular basis. The light was dim behind his friend's eyes.

"You going to be okay with this?" Brennan asked him, "I mean you're going to have to work with Lexa, Jesse. You can't keep reminding her of a mistake she made."

"It wasn't a mistake," he replied softly, "She knew exactly what she was doing, Bren. Problem is she took a part of my heart out with it. I'm just glad it's finally out in the open."

"Me too," Brennan replied, but was still worried by his friend's demeanor, "You haven't answered my question though. Are you going to be able to work with her, Jess? We can't work alone, you know."

Jesse stared at him. The hollow look was slowly filling with a spark of light.

"Yeah, I can do this," Jesse replied, "She can do whatever she wants. I'll work with her."

Brennan smiled. At least they were getting to a good point. He knew that Jesse could put aside personal feelings for the sake of the team. He wanted to see him at least be able to function.

"Great then," Brennan gathered his shoes and went back upstairs, "I'll finish packing and we'll go when they get back."

"Good then," Jesse stood up, "It'll be good to see Adam."

"Yeah, it will be," Brennan answered as he came back downstairs with two bags, "I want to know how he got away from the Creator."

"I wonder that too," Jesse commented, "I ran every possible check that the Service can run, and 'The Creator' doesn't exist. As it turns out from the moment that Adam was taken by these guys, he doesn't exist either."

"That takes some ability," Brennan said, as Emma started down the stairs with their two bags, "What are you thinking?"

"That we're either on the level or walking into a huge trap," Jesse sighed, taking his bag from Emma, "I want it to be on the level, Brennan, but my instincts are screaming trap."

"I know, mine too, but we have to do this," Emma said, "Otherwise we'll never know."

Brennan nodded. It was time.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Soon after Shalimar and Lexa returned, they loaded into their cars and headed for the GPS coordinates Adam sent in his message. Shalimar knew it would take them out of town and into rural Virginia, past the expensive horse farms and historical homes into the old abandoned mining towns that bordered West Virginia.

Shalimar and Lexa had decided to travel together, Lexa needing more time to decompress after her shouting match with Jesse and Jesse wanting to simply sleep during the trip. As an ultimate sign of trust he handed the keys to the SUV to Brennan, knowing his friend could navigate better than he could right now. Emma had ridden in the back with him, Jesse curling up on the rear seat, his head in her lap.

Once he was asleep, Emma finally found the time to talk to Brennan. She kept checking on Jesse, pushing a lock of hair out of his face as he slept.

"Well, that was hell back there," he began, looking back into the rearview mirror, "You think he'll be okay?"

"I think so, Brennan, he's just been through so much," Emma replied, "He told me about you guys once I was gone, but he left out details. I didn't realize how much he had cared for Lexa until she was standing in your living room. He never told me about her being pregnant either."

"Wow," Brennan said softly, "I have to admit the shock hasn't worn off of that one."

"I'm not surprised, he has always wanted kids," Emma said, "We're going to have some when we're ready."

"Not scared of the potentials?" Brennan asked.

"Hey, they'll be beautiful kids no matter what," she laughed, "As for powers, if anyone knows how to deal with them, that would be the two of us. He'll be a great dad, Brennan. He's got so much to share."

"I know," he turned onto the main highway, "You ready to be a mom?"

"Yeah, I think so," Emma said, smiling, "I always thought that parenting should be a partnership, Jesse thinks the same way. Both of us dealt with parents that didn't have a clue on how to raise us, so, we have our issues, but I think Adam was a good enough role model."

"Yeah," Brennan agreed, "He was a dad when we needed it."

"Shalimar and Jesse had him a little longer than we did, but, he made the impression he needed to," Emma continued, "I wish I could have told you guys I was okay, Adam knew but to keep me alive he went with the story."

"I would be lying if I didn't say that it hurt, and it hurt to see you in my living room yesterday, Em, but I am very glad that you are alive," Brennan admitted, "I can understand why Jesse didn't tell us. He really loves you."

"That I do know," she looked down at him. He stirred for a moment, then fell back into the rhythm of sleep he had been in.

For Emma, it was time for a change of subject.

"So when are you going to pop the question to Shalimar?" she asked playfully, "You know once we have kids, they could use some cousins to play with."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Brennan flashed her a grin, "Shalimar has to ask me at this point. She owns me and she knows it. With Sanctuary blowing up, getting our lives back together, getting the school started, the house, well, a wedding just hasn't been planned yet."

Emma sighed. Life has it's own twists and turns. She looked down at Jesse who felt like he was in peaceful slumber. At least he was a twist in the right direction.

Or so she thought. The sensation of sleep didn't dull the memories that haunted his brain. The goons putting the helmet over him, his fingers being forced into electrical gloves, the constant scream of Lexa for them to leave him alone started playing a loop in his subconscious and he fought it off, trying to let his mind rest, but the pain came back to him in waves. He shook with every jolt, the red hot pain searing through him, his voice growing weaker as he screamed. He started to fight them off, even as they pulled the device off of his head and he heard Lexa giving them the codes to Sanctuary. He kept screaming at her and she looked up at him.

"Jesse, JESSE!" Emma's voice pulled him out of the nightmare.

He opened his eyes to stare up at her. They weren't moving, the SUV was on the side of the road, Brennan was staring at him. He rubbed his face with his hand, the hand that finally didn't hurt and looked back at him.

"Nightmare huh?" Brennan asked.

"Uh, yeah, sorry," Jesse said softly, sitting up, "We can go on. Sorry about that."

"It's okay," Brennan replied, "Let me catch up."

He started the SUV back up and continued after Shalimar's sports car.

"Sorry," he said softly, gazing into Emma's eyes, "and thank you."

"Always," she said, "Although I like it better when you fall through the bed."


	9. In a Lifetime Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Legal Disclaimer-If you want to blame someone, blame Fireworks and Marvel.

Authors Note-I cannot tell you how much FUN I have been having with this. Work has been insane and this is a great creative blowout. I love this. And I love all of you. Your reviews and emails (hi Aniki!) have kept me going. It's going to get more interesting, just remember that Virginia is a huge state.

On a side note-Finally saw Hard Time. LOVE THAT EP.

Jesse stayed awake for the rest of the trip. That nightmare had been one he recognized. The last time he had it was Emma's first night over. He told her about Lexa then and there, because she was going to be his wife, and she deserved to know. Emma strangely enough had not been upset. She knew that he had a life post her leaving and was open to understanding everything about him. That's what she did.

He in turn looked at her now sleeping form and realized how much he really did love her. He knew it the second he saw her in the shopping mall and did everything but beg Adam to bring her in for an interview to join the team.

Adam. He hadn't taken the time to think about his mentor for a long time. The pain of his departure, the lack of any piece of information on him, the discovery of Emma, and his anger at finding out that he knew she was alive the whole time made him not want to think about him.

"It was that nightmare again, huh?" Brennan asked him, breaking him out of his thoughts, "You started having that right after we lost Sanctuary."

"Yeah," Jesse replied softly, "Tends to come with stress."

"Really?" Brennan was intrigued, "You got to work it off, bro, that's what I do and it's let me sleep like a baby."

Jesse looked at him in the rear-view mirror.

"I sleep pretty well," Jesse replied, "Most of the time."

"Yeah, yeah, we'll work on it, ok?" Brennan looked back at his friend, "I want to help you, you'll let me?"

"Always," Jesse's reply was followed by the high five that they usually shared.

In the sports car ahead of them, Lexa had finally calmed down. She had spent the first hour of the drive not speaking but staring out the window at the passing scenery. Shalimar had sensed the need for silence. She knew what it was like to be upset and angry; her temper was still bad even after spending years with Brennan. He meditated regularly, and knew that she needed a calming center. He had taught her ways to calm down, but, she knew the best for Lexa was to let her think about it all. Thoughts can have their own calming effect.

"I did what I thought was the right idea," Lexa said, looking back at the SUV, "He needs to believe that."

"He will, it's just going to take time, Lex," Shalimar said, "You have to remember that he's still pretty sensitive to the word freak. He's always been that way. He's also very much in love with Emma. That's going to work to your advantage. You didn't want to settle down, but you care about him, even to this day. He's too angry to see it, but I can see it as well as Brennan."

Lexa nodded. Shalimar's logic was infallible.

"You should have let us all know, we would have protected you both," Shalimar continued, "Instead, as Jesse put it, you made the decision for us. You have to know, that's the biggest trouble here. Jesse would have moved heaven and earth for you. That's what tore him up when you left. He couldn't trust himself, let alone Brennan or me. I wish you have at least told me the truth, but it's a trust issue. You have always had that problem. "

"You really would have protected me, Shalimar? You have the same trust issue," Lexa said softly, "Jesse is in everything but blood, your brother. You really think that you would have been okay with me having his child?"

"He loved you, therefore, I accepted you in his life," Shalimar replied, "I would have accepted your child. Brennan would have as well, Jesse's his brother as well. You were becoming his sister, and I don't think you realized it."

"Guess not," Lexa yawned, "I'm not good at that."

"Too long being an independent operator," Shalimar looked at him, "You didn't realize that you gained a family with us."

Lexa thought for a moment.

"Yeah, I guess I didn't," she replied, "You think he'll ever forgive me."

"You have to give him time," Shalimar said, "He's still hurting from it. That's the biggest problem, between you and Adam, he lost his focus for a very long time. Emma's been a huge help, he'll do anything to protect her."

"And her him, I remember reading about her from what Adam said, she's a telempath?" Lexa asked, grateful for the change of subject, "She must be going through hell living with him."

"No, not really," Shalimar replied, a slight smile growing on her lips, "We all learned to control our emotions pretty well around her. She also has some pretty strong walls."

"Around us I hope there are as strong as Fort Knox," Lexa said, "Might be the only way to survive us."

"She's doing okay," Shalimar commented, "She'll tell him loud and clear if it's a problem."

Emma though, slept on in the SUV behind them. Brennan and Jesse had traveled in silence for a few miles, Brennan's eyes darting from sports car in front of them to his friend's thousand mile stare from the back windows.

"You still with me back there?" Brennan asked.

"Yeah," Jesse's reply was soft, "How much longer do think this ride is going to take?"

"Probably another hour," Brennan replied, "The GPS tracker put Adam in some sort of abandoned mining town, and strangely enough he wants us to meet him in a diner."

"A public place? That's not like him," Jesse thought aloud, "I still can't shake the whole trap idea."

"Shalimar checked it out, the diner is real," Brennan said, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, "One owner, been in the family for generations, no ties anywhere, and it seems legit. Why they are there though is beyond me. And the thought of him rural explains plenty."

"From the guys I have talked to in the Service, rural isn't as rural as you think after 9/11," Jesse replied, "You can be tracked down. At least our records are clean. Even yours."

Brennan grinned. Jesse was always the best hacker he knew. Even with Shalimar's excellent abilities behind a keyboard, Jesse could find the online needle in the internet haystack. Adam had the codes, Jesse had the ability and there was nothing that they couldn't do in keeping their identities a secret. For Jesse to have joined the Secret Service was something that made perfect sense, but for him to permit his real identity to be in public must be challenging.

"So, you have those kinds of connections with the Secret Service?" Brennan questioned, "Or is that the hacking you do for fun?"

Jesse laughed.

"Yeah, I still hack for fun," Jesse replied, "The computer security side of the job is pretty interesting, but I like the Presidential detail."

"Jesse, I must admit I never saw you as a bodyguard," Brennan said, "Do they know..."

"Yeah, actually, they do, turns out the President is an old ally of Adam's," Jesse interrupted, he expected this question, "As for the bodyguard thing, she knows, has me as an assistant and on the personal detail for her travels. You never see me because of the way the detail is constructed. I set it up that way. At the same time, I'm pretty independent. It's a good job for me. I like it. At the same time, I can keep tabs on anti-mutant activities. The President gives me that leeway."

"Sounds like you found your niche," Brennan followed Shalimar off the highway, "And you found Emma at the same time."

Emma opened her eyes and yawned. She hadn't realized that she had napped, and when she looked at Brennan sleepily, she knew she had.

"Hiya bright eyes," Jesse said, a smile on his face, "Nice nap?"

"Better than yours," she shot back, leaning forward in the seat to look out the front window, "Any idea where we are?"

"Somewhere near West Virgina," Brennan replied, "And I think we're here."

Brennan pulled up behind Shalimar and looked around. They were in the place that the coordinates mentioned, and, it finally looked right to them. It was a small diner, it was time for some form of supper and the future that awaited them inside


	10. In a LifetimeChapter 10

Chapter 10

Legal Disclaimer-The rights to these characters belong to a whole bunch of people.

Author's note-Here you go. Sorry it took me so blooming long. Work is getting crazed again, and I am busy, but I am getting the rest of season one on DVD. Whoo hoo. I also thank you my reviewers. I have achieved a personal goal of getting more reviews than my first story. I thank you for that.

Here comes Adam. He's not alone.

The diner was a small place, located on the edge of a cliff and overlooking the edge of the mountains. Its overlook was beautiful. It had a sense of calmness to the chill of the oncoming evening air, and the locals it seemed, were not visiting. They were the only people there.

Emma took Jesse's hand as they followed Brennan, Shalimar and Lexa into the diner. Emma scanned the area before they went in, instinct running on overdrive. She and Jesse both felt that this was a trap. The diner and the area around it was clean. All she felt from the team was hunger, frustration and a bit of pure hurt from Lexa. She knew it was directed at Jesse, and while Jesse had finally gotten out what had been bothering him, she knew that Jesse was far from forgiving her. That was going to take time.

They entered the deserted diner. Tables were set like the diner was open, but the shadows were growing from the setting sun. Brennan went ahead of the group, hands at the ready to push electricity to protect them.

"Hello?" Brennan asked, every instinct going on alert.

Shalimar, Jesse, Lexa and Emma took up defensive positions behind him. Brennan moved forward, old instincts kicking into gear to look for movement. At the same time, Shalimar was reacting to the silence, while Emma scanned again for any sign of life. Jesse had taken a deep breath, massing and phasing still coming as reflex.

"Hello," the familiar voice said, from the shadowed table in the corner of the diner, "I'm the only one here."

Lexa turned. The man in the corner was extremely familiar.

"You had better be," she replied, "Otherwise, I think we will all kick your butt."

The man stood up and headed into the light. Even though gray had streaked his hair, the eyes, the smile and the attitude were still the same. It was Adam Cane.

"I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy," Adam smiled, "My god, it is so good to see all of you."

"And it's good to see you, are we alone?" Brennan asked, his guard still up.

"He's the only one in here, and as always, I can't read him," Emma admitted, "How's it going Adam?"

"Emma, my dear sweet Emma," Adam came toward her, "How I was so wrong to shut you out like I did. I'm so sorry."

Emma backed away from Adam. While it was great to see him, she wasn't too ready to touch him. Brennan still had worry, while Shalimar was playing off of his concern. Something didn't feel quite right. Lexa turned. Jesse felt like it was very wrong to be in a deserted diner. All of this ran over Emma in waves, her walls stood strong, but she felt the uneasiness.

"Adam, tell us you're alone," Lexa said, "Something is screaming trap here."

"No, Lexa, I'm not alone," Adam smiled, "I have an old friend of yours as an ally."

The door to the kitchen opened and a bearded man in a wheelchair rolled out. He stopped in front of the group and stared at Lexa.

"Hello Lexa," the bearded man said, his voice a bit pointed, "I supposed you weren't expecting to see me."

Lexa was stunned. The man who had been her contact with the Dominion was still alive, she thought he had died in the explosion in their headquarters. She never knew his name and she knew it would more than likely stay that way.

"That would be right, how do you," she was trying to find the right words, "You should be dead."

"I made it out of there, Lexa, but thank you for being concerned about me," he continued, "I understand all of your concern, but Adam and I are in a partnership here."

"Why couldn't I sense either of you?" Emma thought aloud.

"Adam's a clone, Em," Jesse replied, "Maybe that's it? Doesn't explain our bearded friend here."

"Yes, Emma can't read me because I am a clone," Adam said, his voice tinged with sadness, "It's good to see all of you. Together at last."

"Save the reunion speech, Adam, why are we here?" Jesse asked, Emma's sideways glance telling him it was okay, but to still be cautious, "And why is he here? And how come Emma couldn't sense him."

"Ah, Mr. Kilmartin," the wheeled man interjected, "Nice to see you're still the doubting Thomas. You think that Adam and I have lured you into a trap? Your wife couldn't read me because of training I have to control my emotions. Something I know that you practice in your new job. And you practice it to keep her from going insane. There's plenty of reason to think that we have trapped you."

"He's not the only one," Shalimar answered, her eyes flashing a brilliant yellow, "Why are you here?"

"Unity, if you can ever trust me again," Adam replied, sitting down at a table, "We have a mission that we wish to complete, and we want your help."

"So you want our help?" Brennan asked, a bit shocked, "Why the cloak and dagger then?"

"The only way to get all of you back together," Adam replied, "My time with the creator was eye opening to say the least. To find out that you were cloned, yet alone from a mad man, well, it has been an interesting time. I was lucky to escape and I have been living underground for at least two years now. Thankfully, Jesse, you left my plans in place when Sanctuary fell."

"Had to, you encrypted the files so deep that I am still working on them," Jesse admitted, "How did you get out of there, and why is he here?"

"He is the reason I got out," Adam replied, giving the man in the wheelchair a slight smile, "He managed to get me out of the creator's lair, and hid me till the time was right to find all of you."

"You were always full of surprises," Lexa said, raising an eyebrow to the man, "Although this does surprise me."

"You weren't the only one, Lexa," Adam added, "He helped me escape, helped me set up a new base of operations and helped me keep tabs on all of you. You have all become so successful."

"We got lives Adam, no big deal," Jesse replied, "What do you want us to do?"

Adam ignored the question. Jesse seemed horribly angry at him, and he knew the reasons why. Adam was the closest thing he had to a father and his reaction to his leaving the first time had Jesse in a tailspin. To leave him again was harder. He had become a fine young man, but he had been tempered. Rebellion was normal and expected.

"Shalimar and Brennan, you found each other, and found a life together, Jesse, your finding Emma was a one in a million chance and your marriage is one that is very strong, that is obvious," Adam continued, "Lexa, you showed strength and determination getting back into the game, I know in an attempt to save me from the Creator. Your work and sacrifices are not in vain, it brought us to today."

"Okay, so why are we here then, Adam, answer Jesse's question," Emma asked, "Or we go."

"I need you to help me save the future," Adam said calmly, motioning for them all to sit.

Jesse sat. He would at least give his former mentor the chance to explain himself. Brennan followed his suit and the others soon sat. Adam watched them for a moment then put his hands level on the table, not able to look at them as he started to explain.

"You need to understand," he said softly, "The reasons here are barbaric. The children of genomex are growing up. They have relationships, lives and children."

"Yeah, and?" Jesse's sarcasm was expected, the events of earlier still fresh in his mind, "It's normal for people to have children Adam."

"It's not normal when these children are being taken by the Dominion and the Creator Jesse," Adam shot Jesse an angry look, "They have taken children from the hospitals, faking death certificates and abortion records. They want the children so they can grow their own army, and this needs to stop and stop now."

Lexa stared at the man in the chair. What was he not saying. While Adam continued explaining the situation with the children, she began to suspect what her heart had been dreading. Jesse, Emma, Shalimar and Brennan listened in horror as Adam explained the experiments he had seen, the science that he had revered bastardized, and the need for them to stop this now. He needed their help and was not afraid to ask. It wasn't going to be easy.

"They have bred these children, and they are living in stasis pods," Adam said, looking up to face Jesse and Brennan.

"They're creating their own army," Shalimar said, "And they're using mutants like us to do it."


	11. In a Lifetime Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Legal Disclaimer-I don't own these rights, they belong to Marvel, Fireworks and Tribune Entertainment. I just want them to put Season 3 out on DVD...

Authors Note-Sorry this took a little while. I have been busy with work and well, I wanted to find the cliff to hang them from. Animiga, this ones for you...

My reviewers....I love you guys. Yes, More Lexa is here. And you will have more soon. But all in all this is a Jesse story.

Jesse sat in the diner, his gaze at the wall behind Adam. He heard the words and tried to put them together. The thought of children being raised in stasis pods sickened him to his very core. The thought that parents were being lied to about their future children made him even sicker. It was the same lie that he grew up with playing over and over again.

"One of these kids is Lexa's and mine, isn't it?" Jesse asked, point blank.

Adam didn't answer him, just shook his head yes. Jesse glared at him, anger growing in his eyes, and he got up and left the diner. He had to breathe, the walls had closed in around him and he knew that if he didn't get outside he would probably tear the walls down. Emma started to follow him and Brennan stopped her. He would talk to Jesse this time.

Lexa sat staring at the wheeled man.

"You could have told us," Lexa said angrily, "You don't know what that decision did to me."

The wheeled man looked at Lexa. The pain in her eyes was reflective of the look that Jesse gave Adam.

"I'm sorry, as soon as I heard of it, I got Adam out of there," the wheeled man continued, "You five are the best hope at stopping this."

"I understand what you're saying, but how?" Shalimar asked, "We no longer have the tools we need to make this work. Adam, we no longer have Sanctuary, we have been defunct for five years. We have lives outside of this."

"I know, I'm asking you to sacrifice everything," Adam said, "But this is the greater good."

"Greater good my ass," Lexa said, "You're still trying to repent for your mistakes, Adam. This time, the dominion caused this and you're trying to stop them. Do you realize that you're trying to stop yourself?"

Jesse stood on the porch out front of the diner and tried to hold back the waves of anger that flowed through him. He slammed his hand against the railing and felt it shake. He had massed without thinking. He needed to find a center of calm, but he felt the need to tear the building down.

"Take a breath, bro," Brennan said from behind him, "You have got to calm down."

"Dammit, Brennan, I know," Jesse seethed, "Not just for the situation but for Emma."

"Yep, good motivations to keep calm, but man, I know you, control yourself," Brennan continued, his voice calm, "Focus. There is nothing you can do by getting mad."

"I know," Jesse continued to breathe slowly, his jaw setting, "This is unreal."

"Yeah, I know," Brennan replied, "I know how you feel. You remember what happened in the prophecy."

"You at least know your child, Brennan," Jesse shot back at him, turning around, "They are growing these kids in stasis pods. More than likely they have subdermal governors on them, and....."

The emotions of his own past were beginning to catch up with him. He took a deep breath to hold down the rage.

"Dammit, Brennan, these people have my kid," he spat, "You at least know that your child is in good hands. My child is in a pod somewhere. They don't know who they are, where they came from, why they are different from..."

Jesse found the words stopping as the rage that had been building took over. He massed and turned toward Brennan. Brennan saw the look in his friend's eyes and stared him down.

"Jesse, CALM DOWN!" he yelled at him, "We're going to find them."

Jesse let his breath out, the massing faded, but his glare continued. The pain that had been in his eyes from his anger toward Lexa had multiplied. Brennan had to admit he had never seen Jesse this angry before. For the first time in a very long time, he was scared of him.

"Yes, we are," Jesse's voice had grown low and deadly.

Adam watched the scene unfolding outside. Jesse had grown up, it was quite obvious, an intelligent and loving man, his love for his teammates, his surrogate family, driving his passion. His love for Emma showed the moment he looked at her. Brennan had gone from outlaw to bad boy to strong gentleman, and Adam knew that not only was Shalimar responsible, but with her Brennan had found the inner strength to go onward. Shalimar was the pack leader, listening with wisdom and the skill to protect them all. Emma, who sat across from him, had blossomed into a mature woman, able to defend herself and defend her team. They were not quite the group he had dreamed of, but, like a proud father, he knew that he had helped and that he could trust them. Jesse's anger bothered him.

"First things first, I need to get you guys to my new base of operations," Adam began, "I know that you took leave from the school, Shalimar and Brennan, and Emma, Jesse is on indefininate leave from the Service, yes?"

Emma nodded, her attention on the front porch. Jesse and Brennan were still outside talking. Jesse had calmed down looking out to the road that led up the diner. The sun setting over the mountains had a beautiful look to them and was helping to calm him.

"We're going to have to get these kids out of there Brennan," Jesse said, his voice finally calm, but the deadliness growing, "We're going to have to find them homes and..."

"Yeah, I know, but we have got to make a plan," Brennan said, finally happy that Jesse was calm enough to talk, but cautious to the tone in his friends voice, "Let's not go in there half-assed you know?"

Jesse looked down the mountain road the led to the diner. It was beginning to fill with black vans and trucks. They were unmarked.

"Brennan, that's all great, but we're not alone."

They turned back around and ran back into the diner.

"Adam, you know a way out?" Jesse yelled, grabbing Emma by the arm, "We have company."

Adam, Lexa, Shalimar and Emma jumped up and went toward the back of the diner. The wheeled man drove himself to the front porch area, looking at the windows.

"Damn, they have found us," he said, "Lexa, grab the others and go."

Lexa stopped as they headed out the back door. She watched him load a gun that Adam handed him, deftness to his fingers she never imagined him having. He looked back at her, a look in his eyes that she only remembered when he broke her out of the jail cell back at Dominion headquarters.

"Go, Lexa, I'll contact you when I am safe," he said, waving her onward, "Go."

"No, you saved me once, let me return the favor," she said, running up behind him, "You can't go through this alone."

Jesse and Brennan, who were hustling the rest through the back doors of the diner to Adam's waiting car turned and looked for Lexa.

"Brennan where is she?" Jesse asked.

"She went back," Brennan replied, "She said something about protecting the guy in the chair."

Jesse remembered instantly when he saved them both from the Dominion. She was repaying a debt. He also knew that she would definitely die if he didn't help them. Obligation ran screaming into his mind as he ran back toward the front of the diner. Brennan gave him a momentary blast of cover as he ran to protect the man in the chair.

"Go Brennan go!" Jesse yelled, "We'll catch up."

Brennan looked back at Jesse as the front of the building began to be lit up with gunfire. He ducked and ran after Adam and the women, silently praying that Jesse would be behind him.

Jesse massed as he stood in front of the wheelchair. He blocked several bullets until his breath ran out. He took another breath and turned toward Lexa who was shooting light bolts with her hand. They were doing okay at defending themselves until they heard the explosion in the back of the diner. More of guys from the vans flooded the diner and Jesse let his breath out. He looked Lexa as he felt the bullet hit. Oblivion took over soon afterward.


	12. In a Lifetime Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Legal Disclaimer-The rights belong to others. I am just blowing off steam. Toot. Toot.

Authors Note- Work's insane, so forgive my time 'tween chapters. To say that I love all of my reviewers would be an understatement. You have kept me going when I thought the well was dry. Thank you more than you know.

Laily, Mkfgnst, Animiga, Aniki, gelf, katknits, this is for you guys...and yes goldie, even you too!

Here you go...Many angst moments to come.

Emma Kilmartin sat in the back of Adam Kane's jeep shaking. The mere thought of them under attack brought back memories that she hoped only to see in nightmares. Then realizing that Jesse wasn't by her side frightened her even more. Her powers were still as strong as ever, but she had the instinct to run, run far from the scene that just happened and go back to the life before Jesse had knocked on her door. Instinct had her blast him. She blasted innocent Jesse, not realizing that he felt the same way about the constant attacks on them for being different. She had the adrenaline rush that she remembered, but the sudden disconnect from Jesse just about sent her over the edge. When he went down, her hope of keeping a handle on the emotions around her went with him. She felt so alone.

Shalimar grabbed her hand. She remembered this look from long ago.

"What is it? Jesse?" she asked softly, "You okay?"

"He's been hurt and it's bad Shal," Emma replied, "Adam, Bren, we have got to go back there."

"Emma, I want to, but we can't get them without a plan," Adam replied, pushing the jeep into overdrive, "I'm taking you guys to where I planned, we'll get what we need and then we'll go in and get them."

For Jesse Kilmartin, he was on his back, in a nice peaceful setting. He smelled flowers. Nothing hurt, he was relaxed, and he felt like nothing in the world could bother him. He opened his eyes to discover he was in a meadow, covered in the flowers he smelled, and the sky was a perfect, brilliant blue.

"Jesse?" the voice calling his name sounded vaguely familiar.

He turned his head filling his vision with the eyes of his wife. Her blue eyes were full of pain.

"Emma? Why are you so sad?"

His own voice sounded raspy to him.

"Because you have to wake up, and it's going to hurt," she said to him, her fingers reaching out to touch his face, "I'm so sorry."

Jesse closed his eyes as the pain raged like fire down his spine. It brought him out of the meadow and into the badly lit realm of consciousness he now knew was reality. He felt a hand brush the hair out of his face and with his right hand he reached for it. That was probably the worst thing to do since the fire now raged to his fingertips.

"Damn, now that was a bad idea," he said, his voice raspy, "what the hell happened?"

"Jesse, oh god, I'm glad you're still with me," Lexa said.

Her face came into focus. They were both on the floor of a dank cell, barely lit. Using his other hand, Jesse felt the edge of a subdermal governor attached to the back of his neck. This was not good. He put a hand to his right shoulder and it came away covered in what he knew was blood. By the sticky feel on his back, he knew it had gone through his shoulder.

"Not leaving yet, although I wish this tape would stop with the replay," he said, looking at Lexa, "Any idea of where we are?"

"Probably the new headquarters of the Dominion," she said, looking around, "I was knocked out soon after you were..."

"And our friend in the chair?" Jesse asked.

Lexa's eyes told him the whole story. She never showed fear to any of them unless it affected her deeply. They had killed the older man in front of her.

"Your friend in the chair," a voice called out from the darkness, "Is no longer with us. Traitor that he was, he was executed like one."

Jesse closed his eyes. His shoulder hurt, it hurt horribly. Concentration would help the pain lessen, but the realization of the past few minutes blew that concept out of the water.

"The Creator, I presume," he said aloud, "What do you want with us?"

"It should be obvious to you, Mr. Kilmartin," the voice continued, "You and Ms. Pierce are bait. I want my successor back, and both of you are the way to that end."

"It's not going to help if he's dead," Lexa yelled into the darkness, "He was shot at the diner."

"A most unfortunate bit of damage that I intend to repair," the voice replied, "Don't fight the guards coming into the cell, but say goodbye to Mr. Kilmartin, Ms. Pierce. It's for his own good."

Jesse looked at her in shock. They were going to be separated. The thought of medical attention, while he was in so much pain wasn't a bad idea, but he didn't want this guy touching him. He grabbed his bad hand and palmed his wedding ring, which they had left on him.

"I'm sorry, Jess," she said, as the guards came into the cell, "You know I never wanted to hurt you."

Jesse nodded. This was an unexpected confession. The guards grabbed him gently, and carried him out of the cell. He didn't fight them, it hurt too much to.

"Don't tell them anything," he said, his eyes locking with hers, "And I know."

He reached out to grab her hand. She grabbed his and tried to fight the man who separated them. The guard succeeded, she let go of his hand, but she got what he passed to her. His wedding ring. She put it on so that she wouldn't lose it. She fully intended to give it back to him in person.

Emma, Brennan and Shalimar were amazed at how Adam had turned a large abandoned warehouse into yet another version of Sanctuary. From the outside, it looked like the edge of an abandoned mine, the outer buildings looking like they had not been touched since the 70's. As Adam drove up, he hit what to the normal eye looked like a key fob for a keyless entry and doors opened on what looked like rock. He drove into one of the larger warehouses and stopped the jeep.

"I had hoped to show this to you in a much happier way, but time is of the essence, I am afraid," he began, helping Emma out of the cramped back seat, "You guys should find many of the same things in the same places."

He walked forward into the warehouse and clapped his hands. The lights came on slowly to a room full of equipment, furniture and a large living area.

"No place like home," Brennan said, whistling through his teeth, "Okay, what do you know about this new version of the Dominion and do you have any idea of where they have Jesse and Lexa?"

Adam nodded, heading for the large computer monitor. Shalimar followed him, heading for a computer so that she could look up the area that they were in. Emma found a chair in the room and sat. She needed a moment to gather her thoughts and try to push Jesse's pain out of her mind. It wasn't easy.

"From what I remember and the places I was allowed to go, the main base for these guys is in upstate Pennsylvania," Adam began, "Turns out the creator was friendly with the Amish in the area and they tended to large pieces of land for him. They still do, calling him the only good son of the English."

"If they only knew him," Shalimar said, "Adam, how are we going to get them out? If Jesse's been hurt."

"He's been hurt Shalimar," Emma interrupted, "Shot, I do believe and they have a governor on him."

Brennan knelt next to her and put a hand on hers.

"How bad?" he asked, her eyes meeting his.

"I think he was hit in the shoulder, and he's very scared, but determined," she said, her voice going distant, "He's separated from Lexa."

Shalimar stared at Emma. This was a new power she had never demonstrated.

"After being with him, Shalimar, we have gotten very good at communicating," Emma said, answering their unanswered question, "He's unconscious again. That actually makes it easier for him."

Adam nodded.

"I have to admit I'm not surprised, he's always been intuitive that way," he said, "If you get anything more off of him, let me know."

Emma nodded. It hurt to be away from him. He was the first person who really knew her. She ran her hands through her hair. She looked at her hand and at her wedding ring. The diamonds encrusted in an old commring made her heart and mind jump at once. What if...

"Jesse?" she asked aloud softly, thumbing her ring.

It crackled at the touch.

"Emma? Oh my god, thank god it's you," Lexa's voice came through the decoy commring, "Are you with the others?"

Emma stared at her hand, stunned. Jesse had never told her that he had made them work. He had helped make the original ones, but she was surprised that it worked. Reality hit her that he didn't have the DNA sequencer to add into the rings construction, so it would more than likely work for anyone wearing it, if they knew what it was.

"Yes, yes she is," Adam said, a smile growing on his face, "Where are you Lexa?"

"Best I can tell you, somewhere in the new Dominion," Lexa said in the darkness, "We're being monitored, I believe."

Adam typed several keys in. They weren't being monitored. It wasn't possible the way that the signal was shielded. Jesse was very good at that.

"You're so clear," Shalimar said, "Where's Jesse, Lexa?"

"Guards took him away since he was hurt, I'm sorry Emma, he was shot," Lexa continued, "He handed me his ring on the way out."

'Typical Jesse,' Emma thought to herself. They were separated though, because of how he showed Lexa to her. The image of her picture at the end of a long hallway. He was getting very good at images, but the feeling of fire running up her spine was very uncomfortable. She knew he was trying to block it in his own way and she appreciated it, but it made her realize how badly he was hurt. She wanted nothing more than to go in, blast the living hell out of the dominion and get her husband back.

"I know Lexa, are you okay?" she asked.

"I am, but when you guys can, get us out of here, it's the Creator's work that we are here," Lexa continued, "He wants to use us as bait."

"I figured that," Adam replied, "Hold tight. We'll get to you when we can, and keep asking about Jesse. If he's hurt, he's probably going to try and help him medically. Maybe our friend in the wheelchair can help him there."

"You think so?" Shalimar asked.

"Adam, he won't be able to," Lexa said flatly.

Adam closed his eyes. The man who had helped him escape was dead. It was now even more important to rescue the living.

"Jesse's a genetic creation, he's more than likely interested in seeing how he's constructed, so, he's probably going to run a battery of tests on him," Adam glanced at Emma, "Hopefully we can get you guys out soon."

"Thanks," Lexa said.

Adam nodded and Emma cut off the communication. While it was a miracle that the com rings worked, having them discovered would be disastrous.

"Adam, we have to get them out of there, now," Brennan began, "We're very lucky that Jesse had the forethought to make their rings work. But if the creator has taken Jesse..."

"Like I said, he's a creation, he's more than likely going to take care of the wound, then study him. I don't like it either Brennan, but I think I am beginning to know this guy, he's a scientist at heart," Adam paced, then punched some keys on his keyboard, "Shalimar, this is the main map to the compound that the creator is at, have any ideas?"

Shalimar stared at the map then back at Brennan.

"Brennan, come help me plan this, so we can get them out," she said, putting her hand out to him, "If we work as a team, we can do anything."


	13. In a Lifetime Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Legal Disclaimer-This is fanfic. I make no money, they still have all the rights and I just live in the world where they are still running around. Got it? Thank you.

Authors Note-Okay, so, I was feeling good and decided to give you two chapters. Nice huh? Can you be nice and review? Oh, and my lexa lovers, this one is for you. If I didn't get her right, please tell me.

Lexa Pierce was still in the cell, her eyes shut, exhaustion finally taking over. While her body rested and worked to repair itself, she couldn't shut off the images that flooded through her subconscious. Her mind races with the memories of Jesse taking a bullet meant for the man in the chair, the bullet that took the man in the chair out, his dead lifeless eyes looking back at her, and her scream that ended when the blackness hit her. Nightmares were something she dealt with, they were part of her life since the day she discovered that she was a mutant, and they were keys to her past.

Those tended to be the keys to a set of locked doors that she had vowed would never be opened. One key did open a door though, and she was instantly transported to the time she remembered being a little girl and her mother screaming on the phone to who she thought was her father that she should have killed Lexa the second she knew she was pregnant. She hadn't wanted children, didn't care about Lexa, and wanted him to come take the child away from her before she did wind up killing both her and Leo.

The counselors at Children Services knew this when Leo told them about it. Lexa never mentioned it. It had destroyed her and she vowed then and there to never have children because she didn't want them to go through what she did as a child. She could give them love, but she didn't ever want to think about killing a child who she had given birth to.

The admission of guilt to Jesse, Emma, Brennan and Shalimar had been freeing, but at the same time she knew that she did what she had to do. If she could have gone back in time, she would have done the same thing. No child needed to be brought up in a world where their mutancy would always be a factor in their very lives. Just because Jesse was secure with who he was didn't mean that he could have done the job. She still thought her choice was right, but now, with the revelation that the child she thought aborted was alive, she wondered what that child would think of her. Jesse was right, it should have been their choice.

The image of this child came to her in this dream. It was a small blond boy with the lightest color of eyes. His smile reminded her of Leo's and the twinkle in his eyes reminded her of Jesse. He looked at her with an intensity that she only saw when she looked in the mirror. The child looked at her as his shirt seeped with blood from a wound and he fell to the ground.

"Why?" he asked in a voice so alone, "Why?"

She sat up screaming. She was still in the cell, still in the dark, and thanks to the subdermal governor on the back of her neck, unable to do anything about it.

Emma Kilmartin lay on the couch in the newest version of Sancutary plotting what she could do to help them both. Her walls were up as high as she could have them, the tension of the "how and who" planning running rampant through the room. Her eyes were closed, so it would appear to most that she was napping. They knew differently, and she was glad they kept their distance.

She was casting out for Jesse. The pain of their separation ate at her, but it fueled her desire to be in some form of contact with him. The problem was that she was out of practice. She kept the channels open and while Adam tried not to talk around her, she knew that he would do anything he could to help her.

She felt the pain in her shoulder start to fade out. That meant that he was at least being treated for it, but the original pain had caused her to bite her lip to not cry out. She tried to find the field that she knew he thought of when he was a kid and liked to run around in the backyard. She couldn't find that field, which to her meant he was too far out of it to be any good to her. Drugs usually interfered with his controls There was an image of child though, a child that looked at her through mournful eyes.

The child seemed to know something and took her hand. He led her down a hallway, through a large door much like Jesse would do when phasing then into a barely lit prison. A figure lay on the floor in the prison, curled into a ball. The child seemed to know that Emma couldn't see the figure and using his fingers lit the room up. Emma knelt down next to the figure and put on hand on its shoulder. The figure jumped like it had been attacked and attempted to face her. The figure's face turned to her and Emma stopped. The child looked at her, mouthed thanks and faded.

She was looking into the very frightened eyes of Lexa Pierce.

Jesse Kilmartin on the other hand, wasn't as comfortable as it seemed. He was on fire. The bullet had torn through his shoulder, doing minimal damage, but the lack of immediate care had given him an infection. High dose antibiotics were doing their best to cure the rate of infection, but he was stirring in his drug induced sleep.

His life as a government agent had kept him in the best physical shape of his life and that alone was keeping him alive. His body was trying to cure the infection as well. His mind was running after presidential detail after presidential detail, protecting the woman he had grown to trust with his secret and Emma's. The shooters had always come out to follow his nightmares of her getting shot on his watch, but that still hadn't happened in real life.

He turned and tried to open his eyes. The light hurt, and the sound was in slow motion but he could make out the words infection, temperature and time.

Strange, that guy looked like Adam who looked back at him. He was an older man, but Adam had aged in his time away from them. He looked at the room he was in, strangely looking like medlab from the Sanctuary and the bed he was on wasn't a bed. He knew it's name but the fever was making his concentration go haywire. He remembered the name of it as the lid to it came down.

He was in a stasis pod.


	14. In a LifetimeChapter 14

Chapter 14

Legal disclaimer-They belong to other people. I am just playing in their Universe.

Authors Note-I thank everyone who keeps reviewing. The thought that I have over 50 reviews for this makes me proud, happy and keeps me writing. I thank you more than you can possibly know. Animiga-Thank you. Aniki, thank you as well. Brigitta-Thank you.

Kat-thank you. Gelf-thank you.

Oh, btw-Cliff-meet hanger, hanger-Meet Cliff....

Chapter 14

Adam reviewed the plan. It made sense, infiltrate and cause escape. Getting in would not be a problem, Adam knew the clearances, knew the routes in, and knew where the cell was where he thought Lexa was being held.

Emma sat up for a moment and looked at Adam. Her eyes were slightly unfocused and she was fighting to find the right words to describe what was going on inside her head.

"Adam," she said softly, "I found Lexa."

"Great," Adam was excited but distant, coming up close to her, "Can you describe where she is?"

"A very dark room at the end of a hall," Emma said, her eyes and voice going unfocused, "She knows I'm there, but, she can't do anything with her powers, she's subdermaled as well. She's alone. I can feel that Jesse was here."

"Brightly lit hallway?" Adam asked.

"Yeah, the hallway to the room was very bright, almost blinding," Emma looked at him, "That mean something?"

"Sure does, great work Emma, stay with her as long as you can," Adam said, getting up and heading over to where Shalimar and Brennan stared at the video screens, "Lexa is in a cell at the end of the medical labs, I'm sure of it. They dimmed the lights so she wouldn't know where she was. The place is pretty desolate."

He pointed to a long hallway on the map.

"Now, what this does mean is that if she is there, Jesse is more than likely on the same floor," Adam continued, "The Creator has a surgical suite on that level, it's in the old farmhouse on the property."

"That's all well and good, Adam," Brennan started, "But, we don't know Jesse's condition...."

"He's drugged up pretty well," Emma interrupted from her spot on the couch, "I can tell you that. He's in no pain. Lexa's rather pissed."

"So am I," Shalimar said, "Adam, how are we going to get there? You said it's Amish Country. I am ready to go in on horseback if necessary, but, we need a faster way of getting in there."

"The Creator put a helipad on property, but, he only runs it once a week due to the city ordinances," Adam continued, "I have a way to get us in there, and I think it's about time you saw it."

He pushed several buttons and lights that were once dim in the warehouse lit, exposing a sleek, black, aircraft. Brennan stopped and stared. It was a beautiful sight. It didn't look like the Double Helix, it was a smaller and faster looking craft. Brennan felt the old urge to run into it and take off.

"You have a name for it?" Shalimar asked.

"I was thinking Reunion," Adam said, "I am not a fan of double helix two, but I really don't have a name yet."

"I'll find one," Brennan smiled, "Does it have stealth?"

"Yes, and a radar jamming system," Adam added, walking them toward it, "Consider it an upgrade to the Helix, since everything I could upgrade, I did."

"Okay, so let's do this, they need us," Brennan said, "And I 'm not waiting anymore to get them."

Shalimar took Brennan's hand. He looked at her, a little shocked at the show of emotion. She was controlled but an anger burned in her eyes.

"We get them now," she said, "and god help anyone who stands in the way."

Standing in their way would not be a problem for Jesse or Lexa. Lexa wanted out of that cell more than anything in the world. There was nothing she could do except think. The dreams of the child that should have been were replaced with the nightmares of what she did with the Dominion. She hated that part of herself and only let it show when she felt she had no chance of living. She had gotten the images of the calvary from Emma, which her presence had given her some hope, the images in her mind sometimes being non-reliable, so her anger at them was enough to push the image of Emma out of her head. She needed to live in her own nightmare. She hated putting herself in this situation. If she only hadn't answered the call from Shalimar, she would be doing the bodyguard work in LA that she loved. She tried to sleep. If her body rested, maybe her mind would kick in as well.

Jesse on the other hand, was out of it. He was grateful to be out, due to the pain in his shoulder and the knowledge that he had as he faded out of consciousness that he was in a stasis pod. It took every ounce of self control hold back the claustrophobic nightmares that he had since the days he was in one in Genomax. He let himself drift, letting his body heal but at the same time letting his mind search for Emma. Living with her in the past three years he had learned to clear his mind, the yoga that helped body and mind work together had become a routine and an asset. He had done taichai in Sanctuary, but Emma had taken it deeper for him. He was very aware of everything around him and wished at that moment that he had the ability to send a message, some sort of message out to Emma.

In his first days living with her they had worked out ways for him to control his emotions so that she could live without fear of letting her shields down around him. He had gotten very good at it and it brought an aspect into their relationship that she loved him for. She had taught him everything she could about her own abilities, while he in turn taught her even more self-defense. They had a bond, and he knew that this situation was sending her over the edge. If she tried too hard to reach him, she could very well go insane. Since he wasn't needing to concentrate to get himself out of his situation, he could use those resources to find and help her.

He started with the meadow. It was a meadow he used to run through as a child and he remembered it one day when Emma asked when he felt the most safe. It was a perpetual safe place in his soul and he knew that she would focus on that location. Combined focus would more than likely put them on the same track.

In his minds eye, he was on his back, long flowing white shirt and jeans on, his feet bare, his shoes on the blanket next to him. He would lie there and wait for her, she had her own way of getting to him. Problem was, he wasn't alone. A small child sat on the blanket across from him. He rolled over on his side and looked at the child.

"_Can I help you?"_ he asked, staring into the light honey eyes.

"_Maybe,"_ the child replied, his voice singsong, and Jesse realized that he wasn't speaking, his voice was in Jesse's mind, "_If you can help me find you."_

"_Me, you found me,"_ Jesse replied, _"Why did you want to find me?"_

"_So you can get me out of here,"_ the child said_, "I'm not supposed to be here."_

"_Okay, I will get you out of here, but what's your name?"_ Jesse asked, noticing the child's features change.

"_What's a name?"_ the child asked.

Jesse smiled.

"_It's what people call you,"_ Jesse replied, _"My name is Jesse."_

"_Jesse,"_ the child repeated, _"Name."_

Jesse nodded.

"_Now, where are you so I can get you out of here?"_ Jesse asked, _"I want to help you."_

"_I'm next to you,"_ the child replied, _"You are in a box you know."_

He means the pod, Jesse thought to himself. The thought that this child was in a pod next to his sickened him.

"_I know, but I know that I am going to get out of it,"_ Jesse replied, taking a second to control the anger he had that this child was in a box as well, _"You talk to people near you this way?"_

"_I'm not supposed to, but I am so bored,"_ the child said, a smile growing on his face, _"You bored too?"_

"_Yep,"_ Jesse replied, wanting to know how powerful this kid actually was, _"You see anyone else here? Anyone your size?"_

"_Just two ladies,"_ he said, singsong_, "They want to know where you are."_

"_Really?"_ Jesse asked, _"Can you take me to them?"_

"_No," _the child replied, _"Grandpa is coming for you."_

The child vanished and Jesse felt the return of fire to his spinal cord. He knew that he would be conscious again in seconds. He opened his eyes to the murky view of the pod.

"Nice to see you awake, Mr. Kilmartin," the man who looked like an older version of Adam said, "You might remember me, I'm the Creator."

Jesse nodded. Talking wasn't going to help with the pain. It hurt to even breathe.

"I wanted you to know that your fever will come down soon, and I have repaired the damage to your shoulder, you should heal very quickly, but I am monitoring my success with a change to your structure, you should feel the effects from that soon, so, go back to sleep," the Creator looked at Jesse with a look that Jesse remembered Adam giving him when he was sick, "We'll know the results of this experiment in the morning. If you live that long."

Jesse wanted to shudder with horror, but he felt the urge to run back to the meadow. He closed his eyes and let the oblivion take him.


	15. In a LifetimeChapter 15

Chapter 15

Legal Disclaimer-The rights belong to others. Not me, so, don't sue. It's fanfic. Deal.

Authors Note-Wow. I didn't expect to surpass my page count on other stories; this is becoming its own little monster. Thank the job for this, I have had nights where I could put my mind on idle and let the others take it for a while. Many thanks to friends at work who gave me ideas that you will see spread out in this story. Animiga-thank you for your review...I appreciate your words more than you know. Check your email! Aniki-You want longer? Sorry, I have tried this time, but it's a tad on the short side.

I would also like to thank DVD empire for having the rest of season one on DVD at a great price. You guys can find them on the net....Ah-Blood ties...there's a fic coming from that one. Anyway-Here's Chapter 15....

High above Pennsylvania, Emma Kilmartin felt her husband slip back into oblivion. She was in the back seat of the new craft that Adam had built, and while Shalimar and Brennan piloted in silence, she tried to reach Jesse. Adam sat in a jump seat beside her.

She saw through Jesse's eyes that he was in a pod, his image of a glass coffin sure signal to her that he was in hell. She knew his claustrophobia from them in the past and she was sure he was trying to fight off a panic attack now. She could feel him relax though, his pain fading, but their link had begun to grow and grow quickly. She had a sharp intake of breath as it hit her, his feelings were washing over her and they had begun to actually hurt. Something was very different. It went from a link that was like a bad long distance call to him being right next to her. He felt like he was in her head.

She put her head in her hands. His overwhelming presence hurt.

"Emma?" Adam asked, breaking her concentration, "what is it? Jesse?"

Emma shook her head. The pain was becoming unbearable. A tear rolled down her face.

"Something has happened to him, something I can't put a finger on," Emma said softly, "It's like he's in my head."

Jesse's body twitched at her contact with his mind. The drugs had put his body under but his mind raced. The pain he was in melted from the drugs and he felt an inner power. Foggy hallways became very clear and he found himself sitting in the meadow again. This time, he was not alone. A woman was in the meadow with him.

"_Emma?"_ he called out to the woman he knew was his wife, walking toward him, her eyes shocked to see him.

"Jesse?" she asked, looking at him with a stunned almost non-recognizable look.

He got up, walked toward her and hugged her, the closeness of their bodies fueling his temperature. He stepped back and looked into her eyes.

"God am I glad to see you," he said, "You're on your way, right?"

Emma looked at him. She had been casting for him for hours and the effort was taking its toll. She was tired, but strangely she didn't feel like she had extended herself too long. Jesse was controlling this scene and it felt like he was trying to reenergize her.

"Yes, we are," she said aloud, giving Adam a shock, Emma's eyes glazing as she switched back to telepathy, "Jesse, how can you do this? You aren't psionic."

"I don't know," Jesse admitted, sitting back down in the field of flowers, "I heard the creator say that he fixed the gunshot wound and the other things I would know in the morning..."

"You brought me here, Jesse," Emma said, taking his hand in hers, "I don't know how you did it, but you brought me. I think I just freaked Adam out; he's sitting here asking what I am seeing. Do you know where you are?"

"In a pod, Em," Jesse answered, sighing, "Strangely enough I can handle it. Beats the idea of being buried alive. Oh yeah, there's some child running around in people's heads here and he's actually made it easier."

"I think I met him, that's how I found Lexa," Emma replied, "Jesse, be careful."

"As always," Jesse said, kissing the image that was Emma in front of him.

Emma closed her eyes, turned and looked at Adam. It was going to be hard to explain what just happened, but Jesse had more power now than she imagined. She took a deep breathe and realized that she had more energy than when she began to cast for him.

"That was strange, he was in control that time," Emma said, dumbfounded, "He's never been in control like that."

"He was in control?" Adam asked, as Shalimar turned to look at them.

"Yes," Emma said plainly, "And I have never seen him in control like that before. He's in a stasis pod, Adam. I know he conquered his fear of them with Henry and the dreamscape, but, he still gets claustrophobic. I don't know how he did that."

Adam stopped for a moment. This was a new piece to the puzzle that he dreaded. The thought that the Creator had repaired Jesse's gunshot wound was reassuring, considering that he thought the man might just use Jesse as an experiment and let him die. He had experimented and healed Jesse at the same time, this scared him even more. What he had done to him might be more than Jesse could handle.

Jesse, back in his own mind, had returned to the place he knew was safe. The meadow. He again realized that he wasn't alone. The child with the blond hair and honey color eyes was waiting for him.

"I see you found your way back here," Jesse said sternly, a smile running across his face, "You okay?"

"_That's more my question,"_ the child said, _"You wanted to see what here looked like, right, Jesse?"_

"Yes, I did," Jesse replied, putting his hand out to the child, "Where are you taking me?"

"_To see my friends,"_ the child replied, tugging on his hand, _"Come with me."_

Jesse followed the child, half walking, half being dragged by him to the hallway he dimly remembered being carried down as they separated him from Lexa. God, he hadn't even thought of Lexa in the past few hours. He silently hoped she was still alive. He had passed her the ring in the hopes that the rest of the group could get her out of there. He wanted out as well, but he knew in his soul that his connection to Emma would be his link to the outside world. Creator or not, he had a power that he treasured more than life itself, the love of his wife. Jesse stopped for a moment when the child led him into a huge room that was filled with "boxes".

Jesse took a look around, the bile rising in his throat as he scanned the room. While he had seen grown men and women in pods in Genomax, the site of hundreds of pods of children made him ill. He tried to read the names; they filled his eyes like the scans of the New Mutant database that he had seen in the past. He knew all the last names; these pods had no first names on them. These were the children of the children of Genomax. The name that stopped him in his tracks was the pod that the child pointed to.

"This one is mine," he said, pointing to the tag, "Can you tell me what it says?"

Jesse picked up the tag and his breath caught. It took him a few moments to find his voice.

"It says 'Pierce Kilmartin'," Jesse said softly, "I think we found your name."

"Pierce," the small child now known as Pierce said, "I like it."

"You should," Jesse smiled weakly, trying to reassure himself more than the child that he now knew was his own son in front of him, "Now how do we get you and your friends out of here?"

"You can't, grandpa wouldn't like it," Pierce replied, "He wants us all to grow big as grown ups before we can leave."

Jesse looked around. While his instinct screamed that he needed to grab Pierce and run from the room, logic screamed that he would have to find a way to disable the pods so that he could get all of the children out. That would take years and he knew that he didn't have that kind of time. He started to examine the pods as a searing pain hit him, like a laser point hit the edge of his temples. He was being brought back to consciousness. Sound went from the dreamy quiet that he knew to reality. The sound of regulated breathing filled his ears while the sounds of scared children filled his mind.

"_Help us Mister,"_ they whispered, over and over, _"help us."_


	16. In a LifetimeChapter 16

Chapter 16

Legal Disclaimer-All the rights belong to Marvel, Alliance Atlantis, Tribune Entertainment and whomever else owns them.

Authors Note-Reviews are begged for and I must admit, this is the story that won't end. It's running me, but luckily, I spilt this one up so that it won't kill me. I blame seeing episodes I have only heard of finally and it changing my feeling toward the characters slightly. Dang Henry scared me. Poor Jesse, I think I beat him up enough....Nah.

Here's Chapter 16..

The property that the Creator owned was on a high hill in upstate Pennsylvania. Due to the Amish communities around it, there was no outdoor light at all to guide them in. Brennan landed the craft after flying in under the radar and in stealth mode. To the outside world they were completely invisible. Thankfully, also being under the cover of night, they were a complete mystery to the town surrounding the Creator's compound. Shalimar had sat during the flight running over the plan in her mind. They were going in to save Lexa and Jesse, that was a given, that was a plan and that was exactly what they were going to do. She donned her black jacket as she stood up and looked at Brennan. He looked at her, the fire in his eyes reminiscent of their earlier days in Mutant X. They wanted blood and no one was going to stand in their way.

Emma was up as well, but her look wasn't calm, it wasn't angry, it was more of fear. An intense fear that rocked her to her core. Jesse was awake and his sanity was shattering. Ever since their earlier contact, she began to suspect that he had something happen to him courtesy of the creator that she feared in her own life. Jesse had no control over this power he had just seemed to inherit.

Adam too had prepped for the mission in his own way. Using a program that he only used once with the team, he put the finishing touches on the mask he hoped to never wear. As he turned to the group, they looked back in awe and a bit of fear. He was dressed and made up to look like the Creator. He silently hoped he would never look that way because deep in heart he knew that he would never act that way.

Lexa sat up in her cell, the restorative nap not doing anything for her demeanor. She was in the dark, something that didn't help her fears, or her powers. Light was as important to her as oxygen, but with a subdermal governor and barely enough light to see her hands, she knew that if she had to use her powers she would bear through the pain and use whatever charge she had left to get herself the hell out of there.

She waited. Something told her she wasn't going to have to wait much longer.

Jesse squirmed in the pod, the grandfather of all horrendous headaches starting up. If he concentrated on the headache he couldn't hear the voices screaming at him to help him. He couldn't control either one so his mind was filled with searing pain and voices begging for help. At the same time it was becoming harder and harder to breathe. He opened his eyes and tried to focus. A man stood over him, the man who looked like an older version of Adam but wasn't Adam.

"How are you feeling Mr. Kilmartin?" he asked, "Headache?"

Jesse didn't want to find his voice, to find it would hurt. He just nodded.

"That should fade, your temperature is still up," the man continued, patting the front of the pod, "I'm glad Adam invented these, they work so well for diagnosis. You should be as proud of him as I am."

His voice found him.

"I'm" Jesse stuttered, the pain came over him in waves, "Not. Proud. Of. Him."

"You should be," the man said, leaning over to look in his eyes, "He helped create you. As I did. I'm more of his father, which makes you my grandson, Jesse."

"I had a grandfather," Jesse spat, "And you're not him."

Alarms began to sound as Jesse screamed in pain. The sound deafened any chance of the conversation continuing and Jesse put his hands to his ears. He clamped them over his ears and squeezed his eyes shut. If the pain could just stop for a second or two he could get his control back. That's all he wanted.

"I'm sorry Jesse," the man said, flipping switches around him, "Let me turn that off."

The silence helped a bit. The endless throbbing continued. Jesse opened his eyes again, the knowledge of pain staying with him. The voices were getting louder. They were begging him and he couldn't do anything. He just screamed.

Emma stopped in front of the doorway that had the keycard. Jesse's pain had overwhelmed her. She had built a wall the second she realized that he was suffering and she worked to strengthen it, but the stress and worry were working against her. She closed her eyes to catch her breath and felt Brennan's hand grab her arm.

"Jesse?" he asked softly, already knowing the answer.

Emma nodded and looked at him. The concerned gaze that she met gave her the first feeling of hope she had in hours.

"We're going to get him out, Emma," Shalimar said, putting her hand on Brennan's, "Let's start with this door."

Using keycards that they had created, Shalimar ran the card to the door that simply unlocked. She stepped in first, her instincts on high alert, Brennan covering her back. Emma and Adam followed.

For Shalimar, it was simple to see in the dark. Her feral abilities had given her night vision, and the others followed her slowly. The room was dark. There was a light in the warehouse which they headed for, knowing to slowly approach. Brennan turned toward Emma as she caught her breath again, knowing that Jesse was throwing his pain elsewhere and his empathic wife was caught in the crossfire. He tried to block his mind for her, she didn't need his fear amping her own.

They approached the door and found it empty. Luckily the guards were elsewhere and Adam walked in and turned to the security cameras. From his time with the Creator he knew that the man was known to walk the grounds at night, so a weird hour jaunt around the property wouldn't alarm the guards in the stationhouse at the bottom of the hill. Shalimar put a keycard to the door and it too turned green and opened.

They slowly spilt up as they entered the hallway. Shalimar headed to the right, knowing from the map Adam created from memory that the cell Lexa was in was down the hall. He, Emma and Brennan went left. The medical labs were there and they were heavily guarded.

Shalimar reached the end of the hall and popped the keycard marked cell into the slot. Miraculously the door opened and Shalimar pulled out a penlight. She could smell Lexa, so she knew that she had been here, but a light would reassure whomever was in the cell. Adam had been right on the money, she was at Lexa's cell. Lexa's back was to her. Lexa turned, seeing the light on the wall.

"What the hell do you want?" Lexa asked into the darkness, "You already have Jesse."

"How about you out of here?" Shalimar smiled, "Calvary's arrived."

Lexa smiled and jumped up.

"Thank god," Lexa brought her attention to the cell door, "It's not rigged, no alarm, just pull the bastard off its hinges, Shal."

Shalimar stepped back, turned her penlight off and ran for the door, the rage of a lion behind her. One savage pull and the metal door was off. Lexa hugged her.

"Good to see you too," Shalimar said, "Now, let's go get Jesse."

"Copy that," Lexa laughed.

The two women ran out of the darkness and into the light, Shalimar knocking down the security camera on their end of the hall on their way out.

Looking up at the top of the pod lid, Jesse knew that this was the hell he only could of imagined in nightmares. The children's voices didn't stop, his head throbbed, his shoulder hurt and he couldn't close his eyes to go back to the meadow. There was no concentration at all. His thoughts were everywhere. He couldn't even focus on Emma. He wanted to, his heart cried out to her, but, he couldn't think long enough to form her face in his mind. He closed his eyes, hoping that he could muster the concentration to calm himself.

"Jesse?" the voice asked.

It sounded like Adam. It couldn't be, Adam left him at the diner. Adam looked like the older man, but Adam wasn't there. He couldn't be. He heard the pod unlock, and felt the rush of cold air on his exposed chest. He shivered. The chill gave him a moment of concentration.

"Jesse?" another voice asked. This time it sounded like Brennan.

"Brennan, you have to get him sitting up so that I can take the subdermal governor off," the voice that sounded like Adam said, "Hurry, Emma's got the Creator distracted for only a short time."

He felt warm hands lift him to a sitting position. Other hands touched the back of his neck and he felt the pain vanish from his head. The children's voices, though, they got louder.

"That should do it," Adam's voice continued, "Jesse? Can you hear me?"

Jesse opened his eyes to the bright light of the medical lab and the faces of Adam and Brennan looking back at him. He wanted to leap out of the pod, but his body wasn't responding to his commands.

"Yeah," he replied, his voice sounding even more distant to him, "Help the kids first though, Adam."

"You know where they are?" Adam asked.

Jesse started shaking. The voices were yelling at him again. They were also getting louder.

"Jesse, where are they?" Brennan asked, "Can you tell me where the kids are?"

Jesse tried to talk again. He found his voice through the screams of the children.

"The. Kids. Are. In. the. Warehouse. Next. To. This. one," Jesse said, every word an effort, grabbing Adam's arm, "Adam, you have to get them to stop screaming."

"Who's screaming?" Adam asked, looking into Jesse's eyes.

The gaze Jesse gave him was one of pain, fear, terror and anger mixed in his eyes. They were paler than usual and looked fogged. The man was in horrific pain.

"The children, you can't hear them?" Jesse asked, his voice failing, "You can't hear them?"

Adam looked up at Brennan who helped Jesse out of the bed. The gaze said more than words could, Brennan was going to have to help Jesse get out of there. Adam was going to find the children. Shalimar and Lexa ran into the lab at the same time, Shalimar running to help Brennan with Jesse. Emma was still working the opposite hallway, redirecting the Creator away from the medical lab. Brennan waved Shalimar off, picking up Jesse and carrying him in his arms. Jesse was too weak to walk.

Jesse had his hands over his ears. The sound wouldn't stop.

"Thanks Brennan," he whispered, "They have to stop."

"They will," Brennan replied, his thought only on getting Jesse out of there, "You might have to help me here, Jess."

"I will," Jesse replied softly, "Don't let Adam forget Pierce, we need to get him first, I promised. God, they won't stop."

Jesse covered his ears again, the pain washing over him. Emma met them in the hallway, Adam grabbing Shalimar and Lexa to help him find the children. Emma put a hand on Jesse's arm as Brennan ran for the aircraft, knowing instinctually, that he had to get Jesse there.

Emma ran with him, her emotions trying to steady the nearly convulsing Jesse. Brennan didn't speak, just tried to stay as calm as possible as he got Jesse to the craft.

He ran in and put Jesse gently on a chair, covering him with a blanket. Jesse still shook violently. Emma settled in next to Jesse, trying to get him to stop shaking. His hands were clamped over his ears.

"You have to get them to stop," he said, over and over, "They won't stop screaming for me to come back. Go get them Brennan."

Jesse looked up at Brennan, his eyes crazed.

"Don't think that I have gone crazy, go get them, Brennan," Jesse said, his gaze turning to Emma, "You need to help them. Get Pierce."

"Who's Pierce, Jess?" Brennan asked softly, "You're not making sense."

"Get Pierce," Jesse begged, "He's my son, Brennan, go get him."

Emma grabbed Brennan's hand.

"You heard the man, go," Emma said, "I have him, don't worry."

Brennan nodded and ran back into the compound. Emma took Jesse's hands from his ears and brought his face up so that he could see her eye to eye.

"Emma, don't, I don't want to hurt you," Jesse's voice had gone childlike, "I don't know what's happening to me."

"I do, Jess, and I want you to listen to me," Emma said calmly, "You need to concentrate on my voice and my voice only, okay?"

Jesse's eyes met hers and he nodded. She was so beautiful and he got lost in her eyes. Within time they were in the meadow again.

"What the hell is going on?" Jesse asked, the silence of the children deafening, "What did he do to me?"

"I need Adam to confirm it, but I think you've been made psionic Jesse," Emma replied, sitting on the blanket next to him, "And you're a pretty powerful one."


	17. In a LifetimeChapter 17

Chapter 17

Legal Disclaimer-The rights all belong to people who aren't using them. You guys mind? We want new episodes here...

Authors Note-My reviewers, I love you all. Warren, I am glad you're loving it, welcome to the club. Aniki, I went long on this one just for you. Animiga-thank you. Kat-It's gonna get even cooler, I promise. Gelf-Yep. Son. Guys, please, let me know what you think. Forbes, if you're out there reading this, I hope you like it too!

While sitting in his darkened office, The Creator knew that something wasn't right in his compound. He could feel it. It didn't take a mutated gift to know, but something wasn't quite right. He knew that Kilmartin was becoming a stronger mutant, he saw the opportunity and went for it. The chance to fix his wounded shoulder allowed him to study his blood and make the appropriate changes to him so that he would be stronger and even more gifted. The night would be the test and he had monitors on the pod he was in to check on him. He checked them from the main house, making sure that the heart rate was fine and his oxygen level was good. He didn't want to hurt Adam's experiment. He wanted Adam to return.

He watched the monitors that lined the walls. Jesse Kilmartin was sleeping with medication's help. The DNA grafts he had used to save the man's life were taking hold, the hope being that his repairs would enhance his abilities and trigger new ones. The files on the man said he was able to withstand a tremendous amount, hopefully this would help him. That's what the Creator wanted to do. He watched somewhat shocked as a version of himself crossed the monitors in front of him. He blinked for a moment then realized what was happening. Adam had come home and was removing his latest experiment. This would not do.

Shalimar heard the alarms before they sounded. She had used the keycard to open the warehouse that ran alongside the one they found Jesse and Lexa in. Lexa stood beside her, light from her fingers illuminating the way in. Adam had disabled the governor the second he saw her and told her to keep Shalimar company if she was up to it. To be up and able to do something thrilled the elemental. To be out of light for so long had drained her, but she needed to be in the action. Brennan fell in behind them with Adam, who was now loaded with discs.

"We don't have long," Shalimar said, turning toward Brennan, "How's Jesse?"

"It's odd, we'll talk later, he said something about getting 'Pierce' out of here," Brennan said as they walked down the warehouse hallway, "I wouldn't know where to start."

They walked into the main part of the pitch black warehouse. Lexa lit her fingers, causing a bright yet workable light for the group. That helped cull the sound of regulated breathing.

"Adam, can you get the main lights on?" Shalimar asked, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Adam reached around the black wall and the lights flickered on. They were in a room filled with stasis pods. To Brennan's estimation, there had to be hundreds in the room, and all of them were full of children. The impact was staggering.

"Oh my god," Adam breathed, "This is not what they were meant for."

Brennan, Lexa and Shalimar had to take a moment to breathe. While they all had seen the effects of pods in Genomax, they were shocked and saddened to see children in this state. Brennan calmed his fury that he knew was building and began to search the pods. Something told him he had to do it, and he didn't know why. He just did what his gut was screaming at him to do.

"I need to find Pierce, Adam," he said, walking from pod to pod reading the names scribbled on the intake sheets, "Help me guys, we need to find Pierce."

Lexa looked at Brennan as Shalimar began looking at the names connected to the pods.

"They're all by last names," Adam said, "Pierce is the first name?"

"All Jesse said was Pierce, he didn't say if it was first or last," Brennan replied, working quickly, "I'm getting the child out though."

"Brennan," Lexa said, as she stopped in front of the pod she dared not look at, "This is it."

Adam, Shalimar and Brennan ran to her. Lexa was shaking because the face that was sleeping was the face of the child in her nightmare. Adam worked the controls and Shalimar stood with Lexa who was now silent. Brennan quickly took all the monitors off the child, pushing the hair back off of his face. He lightly rubbed the center of the child's chest, trying to get him to wake up. The child reacted to the touch and Brennan found himself blinking. The child was in his mind, much like Emma was in her early days.

"You know Jesse, mister?" the child asked.

"Sure do," he said aloud, "You must be Pierce."

The child opened his eyes. They were the color of honey. Lexa gasped in shock.

"Help me," Pierce said, his voice raspy, "Get me out of here before Grandpa comes back."

Brennan scooped up the child and ran, Adam, Lexa and Shalimar following close behind. Brennan got them outside, while Shalimar fought off guards who had started to follow them. Lexa took the child from Brennan, who had formed a large size tesla coil to back Shalimar up. He let loose and Shalimar turned to follow the rest of the group who were heading for the aircraft.

Brennan followed behind, watching Lexa carry Pierce to the craft which was now slightly visible in the rising sun. Shalimar was ahead of her, ready to beat anyone who stopped them senseless. Adam had stopped and looked at the main house. His aged reflection stood staring at him. Part of him wanted to go to the older man, the other part of him wanted to get as far away from there as possible.

"C'mon Adam," Brennan said, grabbing the older man's arm, "You don't live in this life."

Adam snapped out of it and followed Brennan to the craft.

They quickly took off, heading for the base that Adam now called home. Jesse was nearly catatonic, Emma explaining that she had to put him in that state to keep him sane. Her suspicions were her own, she knew that when she could she would tell Adam what she thought was wrong with Jesse. This disturbed Adam. Seeing the younger man staring at him with a blank expression rocked him to his core. The Creator had taken something from him, it looked like his fire was gone. He had his own suspicions and he knew that if it was what he thought, the best person to help him was Emma.

In the seat across from Jesse, Lexa rocked Pierce, trying to keep the child calm. Shalimar found that the time for talking was not now, while Adam tried to put the pieces together.

They landed only minutes later. Brennan helped Lexa take Pierce out of the craft, while Shalimar knelt with Emma next to Jesse. Adam had been silent on their return, heading for the medical lab with Brennan, Lexa and Pierce. Pierce hadn't said a word to anyone since he spoke with Brennan. Adam wanted to run medical tests, look at Pierce and make sure that he was okay.

Emma knew that Adam wanted to have Jesse follow them, it was just going to take time to get him there. She needed to pull him out of the meadow. He needed to deal with the voices and he needed to deal with them now. She looked into his blank stare as Shalimar watched. Jesse was a shell of the younger brother she knew and loved. She would do anything to bring his spark back.

The meadow was lovely and Jesse napped. He slept shoeless on the edge of the blanket.

"You okay?" Emma asked, kissing his forehead to wake him up.

He yawned. It was the first time in a long time he felt like he could sleep. Emma could see how tired he was when she wandered in before and left him with the overwhelming urge to sleep.

"Yeah, I'm fine after you made me sleep," Jesse met her gaze, "We're back at Adam's aren't we?"

"Yeah, you're going to have to leave this place, Lexa, Brennan, Shalimar and I are waiting for you, can you do it?" Emma asked, "You remember what I showed you about building a wall? You think you can do it?"

"I hope so," Jesse looked at her, "Did they get Pierce out?"

"Yes, they did," Emma said, putting her hand out to him, "How about you meet him in person?"

Jesse jumped as he returned to reality. The voices of the children had grown silent. He blinked, his focus falling into Emma's loving gaze. He breathed in, the simple action of breathing a good control for him and imagined a large wall surrounding him. He was finally under control. For how long, he didn't know, but it was some form of control.

"Hi there," he said softly, testing his voice, "How did I do?"

Shalimar met his gaze and smiled for the first time since she saw Jesse shaking. He seemed much calmer and less insane. He was still pale though. She put a hand on his bare knee and felt him react. He was back.

"Fantastic," Emma said, her hands warming his, "Think you can get up?"

"I can try," Jesse muttered, knowing that getting up was going to hurt.

He gathered the blanket around him and stood up slowly, using the seat as support. Shalimar jumped up to help him and he waved her off. It didn't hurt to walk. He was steady on his feet, but his head still hurt. Emma took his hand, putting an arm around his shoulders. Shalimar took the other side, and together, the three headed down the exit ramp and onto Adam's medical lab.

Lexa and Brennan watched from afar as Adam ran tests on the quiet Pierce. Lexa hadn't said a word since taking the child from Brennan, her shock at his facial features had her silent. Brennan had sensed it and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You know Jesse named him," Brennan said, breaking the silence, "Thought Pierce would be a good name for him. I guess it's from the tag on the pod. It said Pierce Kilmartin."

"He is our son then," Lexa said softly, "I almost don't believe it."

"He's a smart kid," Brennan continued, "Knew I was there to help him."

Lexa turned back to look at Brennan through tear filled eyes. She had been through the emotional wringer. They weren't alone for long as Emma, Shalimar and Jesse joined them. Adam motioned for them to put Jesse on the other table. Jesse slowly walked over to the table and sat on it, knowing that Adam would be with him soon. Pierce looked at him, a smile growing on his face.

"_Hi Jesse,"_ his voice was a mere whisper in his mind.

"You can use your voice here, Pierce," Jesse said softly, "It's okay."

"Hi Jesse," Pierce said again, his voice soft, "Are you hurt too?"

Jesse looked at him. There was no way this child could realize what had just happened.

"Yeah, and Uncle Adam here is going to try and fix me up," Jesse replied, choosing his words carefully, "How's he doing Adam?"

Adam had raised an eyebrow at the "Uncle Adam" remark turned and looked back at him. The look simply said Pierce was fine, but Jesse picked up the thought that followed it. Jesse looked like holy hell.

"He's fit as a fiddle," Adam replied, "Aren't you Pierce?"

"Yes sir," Pierce replied, "You take care of Jesse?"

"If he'll let me," Adam said, approaching him with caution, "You okay with me doing this?"

"Only if you take Pierce out of here," Jesse looked at Shalimar, who was watching the scene with interest, "Aunt Shal? Can you find this young guy some clothes?"

Shalimar smiled. Aunt Shalimar. What a concept. She looked at Lexa who was hurt that Jesse didn't include her.

"I'll work on it, as will Lexa," Shalimar touched Jesse's good shoulder, "Come on, Pierce, we'll let Adam work on Jesse, okay?"

The tow headed child who reminded her of the childhood picture of Jesse at the beach smiled back at Jesse then followed her. Lexa met Jesse's gaze then turned her eyes away as Pierce came toward them. She knelt to meet his eyes.

"I don't think we've met, I'm Lexa," she said, "And let's get you something other than those shorts, okay?"

"Thank you," Pierce said, "And I met you in your dream. That's how I met Jesse. He gave me my name."

Jesse was shocked. He thought that he had been delirious when he had dreamed of Pierce, but the child had kept appearing. Pierce was a strong kid. Lexa had the dream too. They would have to talk about it later, he knew, and she knew he was theirs, her reaction was obvious. His son at least now, was safe. He just felt rather weak. He watched Pierce go with Shalimar and Lexa out of the lab and into the glass covered hallway.

"Jesse?" Adam touched him on his good shoulder, "Let me see how you're doing."

"Yeah," Jesse muttered, turning and lying back down, "Just don't say the word pod and we'll be good."

Adam replayed the horror of seeing the pods in the warehouse back in his mind. The emotion of seeing something he created for a good use being used for something he didn't agree with angered him. He walked toward Jesse who backed away from him, the same fear he saw before reading into his eyes. Emma grabbed Jesse by his shoulders and looked into his eyes.

"Control it Jesse, it's the only way, focus on the wall," she said, her voice a near mantra, "Adam doesn't mean to hurt you. You have to let him work."

Jesse nodded. The anger and anguish coming toward him had been overwhelming and the image in his mind of the pods was an instant overload. The thought of it sent him back into a land of fear and pain. The wall he had built was crumbling. Emma's words were steadying it.

"Emma," Adam asked softly, "Jesse's psionic?"

Brennan glared at Emma, the reasons for her secrecy becoming crystal clear. The implications of Jesse having another power were staggering. It had taken him years to get a handle on the one he had, another power could send him over the edge.

"Yeah, he is," Emma replied, her ministrations calming Jesse, "He's pretty powerful as well. Best I can figure, he heard every single one of the children in there."

"I'm right here you know," Jesse said, a bit of frustration rising in his voice, "I can hear you."

Adam smiled. At least it wasn't as bad as when they first got him out of the pod.

"Sorry," Emma said, "You just have to remember that people do speak. The emotions are theirs to deal with, not yours. I know it's hard, honey, but it's what you got dealt."

"It's not the emotions, it's the thoughts Em," Jesse continued, his eyes going wide, "I know that you guys mean well, Brennan, I'm going to be okay, stop it. Shalimar doesn't know what to say around me, Lexa is stunned that Pierce is alive and dammit, my head won't stop hurting. Adam, I know you're as freaked as I am. Run the tests already. Let's see what we're dealing with."

Adam turned his head. Jesse was right, but this was unusual. He was reading the thoughts people had and he had no control over it. It was amazing that he was even able to talk. Jesse leaned back, closed his eyes and quietly let Adam run all the tests he needed to.

Emma left him while Adam worked. She went into the other room and sat with the stunned Brennan who watched over the scene like a hawk. She didn't have to use her powers to know that the admission of Jesse being psionic was a startling shock to him, and the anger over his brother being experimented on was an easy read.

"So, this is why the children freaked him out," Brennan began, looking at her with more concern and worry than she was used to seeing, "He heard every single one of them?"

"From what he told me, yes," Emma replied, "The voices started soon after he woke up from surgery. They were screaming at him by the time we found him. He and I had worked a way to contact each other if needed, but, his ability has grown leaps and bounds, Brennan, I don't know how he's controlling it. I just told him what I know to do, and that's simply it."

"He seems to be doing okay with it," Brennan said quietly, his eyes not leaving Jesse's form, "What did the Creator do to him? Gene experimentation?"

"Adam will probably have an answer soon," Emma said, putting her arm through Brennan's, "I think he's a little freaked as well."


	18. In a LifetimeChapter 18

Chapter 18

Legal Disclaimer-Marvel, Fireworks, Tribune own them. By stating this and mentioning that this is a work of fanfic, I get to play in their driveway. Thank You.

Author's Note-Reviewers Rock. I cannot and will not believe that I have spent most of the month working on this fic. I'm over 70 pages and to say that I have never written this much in my life would be an understatement. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It's your reviews that have kept me going and I do think now that I might just be able to write some of those original stories that are making me a little more insane every day. This is also a bit of an anniversary for me. I was very ill at this time last year and I am now very well. I promised myself that if I made it through this illness that I would write what came to me and this is the first big step. Thank you all for reading.

Now, onward-Chapter 18 awaits...

Lexa looked in every form of clothing bin that Adam had for clothes that might fit Pierce. She found a t-shirt that read "future Stanford Grad" and a pair of pants that would work until someone could make a run to a kids clothing store. Shalimar put Pierce in the bathtub and washed all the markings of a test subject from the child and laughed as he played with the bubbles. She toweled the small child dry and even combed his hair.

Lexa helped dress him and they stood for a few moments, looking at the child in a bit of wonder. Lexa felt the urge to hug him until she could hug no more but she held back. She didn't know if it was maternal instinct or just joy at the second chance she had been dealt. Life was being interesting again.

"So, Pierce, now that you're clean, what do you want to do next?" Shalimar asked.

"See Jesse," Pierce said plainly, "I want to know he's O.K."

Shalimar looked at Lexa. Jesse had wanted Pierce away from him while Adam worked on him. The kid had been through so much, he didn't want him to suffer more, seeing him being tested, prodded and poked. Diversion was the best tactic. Lexa knelt down next to him.

"How about we get you some food? Then we'll see how Jesse's doing, okay?" Lexa suggested, "You hungry?"

"I think so," Pierce said, his stomach rumbling loudly as an answer, "but what is food?"

Lexa and Shalimar exchanged a glance. This child had been in stasis so long he had no idea what food was. It was time to change that and bite back the sadness that came from a child who looked to be five years old not even knowing what food was. It was time to introduce him to French fries. Shalimar remembered they needed to go slow, but they were going to entertain this child. Not just for them, but for Jesse as well.

Adam ran the tests a third time, not looking back at where Jesse lay. The readouts were all the same, Jesse's genetic structure had been changed, it had remained stable though, which was about the only good news he had. The changes were permanent. The powers he had gained were growing, that was obvious, but he had to figure out a way to get them under control for Jesse's own sanity. He kept checking the molecular's structure. His main concern being that Jesse literally stick together and not blow apart like Gabriel Ashlocke did years ago. That reading came back clear, Jesse wouldn't cause his own big bang anytime soon. Adam also tried to run another scan, hoping that he would at least be able to give Jesse some control over this power, which he could now know was telepathy. If it came to be anything further, they would just have to wait and find out.

"C'mon Adam," Jesse said, his voice screaming boredom from where he lay on the examination table, "Tell me something."

Adam turned. The fact that Jesse was asking meant that he wasn't reading him. Emma wouldn't read him, that was something she established with Adam long ago, and the fact that Jesse had followed tract made him a small bit happy. It's never good to read a friend without their permission; it could lead to awkward situations.

"So far so good, Jesse," Adam replied, "Your structure is still very stable, for a man that passed his expiration date with flying colors."

"Past history, go on," Jesse said, slowly and gingerly sitting up, "What's the worried look for?"

"I can't do anything to change what happened with the Creator," Adam said, meeting Jesse's eyes, "Emma was right. You are now psionic on top of everything else. Looks like you've been made into a pretty powerful telepath."

Jesse took a deep breath and let it out. He had never admitted it to anyone, not even Adam, but the thought of another power to deal with was one of his all time biggest fears. Telepathy though, had its own cruelness. He was still a bit on the self-conscious side and now he would know what people thought if he read them. With the children's voices echoing in his head, he thought he had just gone crazy; but this was something he would have to deal with. He had to admit it was nice to know that the voices in his head now were not his own creation.

"Wow," he said softly, "Explains a lot."

"I know Emma has given you suggestions on how to control it," Adam continued, "Meditation I have heard works wonders. You build internal walls to get the thoughts of others out so that you can hold your own in. From what you were saying back in the compound, you were hearing all those children Jesse. I can get you in touch with other New Mutants with this ability if it will help you control it better. You will need to Jesse, to function."

"Just another curse to add on, huh, Adam," Jesse said, his eyes getting dark, "Why did the Creator do this to me?"

"I think initially to save your life," Adam said, putting a hand on Jesse's arm, "According to his files, you were dying from the gunshot wound you got in the diner."

Jesse nodded. It had hurt pretty bad. It was slowly feeling better, but it went through his shoulder. Muscle and bone were going to take time to heal. He turned and let his feet dangle over the side. Standing up, he leaned against the table so he could meet Adam eye to eye.

"Okay, I'm alive, a telepath, and that's good, how about Pierce? The tag was right huh?" Jesse asked, not needing to know the answer and not trying to scan Adam.

Adam took a moment before he answered.

"The tag was right. He is your son, as well as Lexa's," Adam replied, "His scans came back normal, and he's about four years old. That's at least what the bone scan is telling me."

Jesse smiled, a light beginning to shine in his eyes. He was right. Something instinctually told him that Pierce was his child. Something was bothering Adam though, he could tell. Even though he was now telepathic, the body language that Adam gave him screamed problem.

"What?" Jesse looked at him, "There's something you are not telling me."

"Pierce is above average intelligence. While his physical age is four, he has the mind of a 10 year old," Adam began, "The language skills alone are astonishing. While that can easily be explained by what he's been exposed to, he's got a different social development than most. He's a very bright child, and in excellent shape. Some sunlight will do him wonders, and I don't think he'll sleep for a while. It seems eerie to say that, because I think I told your parents that years ago about you."

Jesse laughed. He was a dad. This was a giddy feeling that he had prayed to have at least once in his life, and he thought he was going to have it when he found Lexa's pregnancy test. This time had a sweeter edge to it.

"Ok, what else? I know that getting him around people will help him, he's not sure about talking to people unless he's told its okay," Jesse said, "That kid has power though. He took me around the compound with his mind Adam. Don't tell me it was my power. He visited Lexa in a dream as well. Is he psionic as well?"

"That's where this gets interesting," Adam said, turning back to the monitor that he had set up near the bed where he examined Jesse, "I ran a scan on Pierce's genetic structure. He's yours, Lexa's and his psi talent comes from Emma. Turns out when they invitro'd him, they added her talents to the two of yours. This kid is going to be very powerful when he grows up."

This took Jesse for a shock. He was all three of theirs, genetically speaking. That explained a tremendous amount, but would be a nightmare to explain to a judge if custody ever became an issue. Pierce took to all of them like he had known them for years, it was hard to believe that this child even existed. Jesse was joyful to even think that he had a chance to be a father. It also didn't take a psionic power to realize what Adam was going to suggest next.

"He's powerful now Adam," Jesse replied, "I don't want to do what you're going to suggest."

"You might have to," Adam said, "Now is not the time to discuss it. You need to talk to Lexa and Emma. They have a right in this as well."

Jesse met his gaze. The mere thought of channeling Pierce's powers with a subdermal governor made him ill. The knowledge that he was going to have to discuss this with Lexa and Emma made his head spin. On top of that, he was now a telepath. No one could hide their thoughts on this one, it was going to hurt.

Jesse sat back on the table. He closed his eyes and tried to find a calm center. Strangely enough, he did. He also realized he was exhausted. All he really wanted to do was lie back down and sleep for a week.

"You need time to figure this out, Jesse," Adam said, "Sleep will help it. I have a room for you and Emma downstairs. Brennan went and got your clothes from the SUV at the diner. Rest, let all this sink in and then talk to them about it, okay?"

"Okay." Jesse agreed softly. Adam's logic was sound. Rest would help this. Summoning some will power he got up, yanked the blanket that he had been wearing off the table and wrapped it around his shoulders with some help from the older man.

"Adam, one more thing," Jesse stopped and met him eye to eye, "What about the other kids? Were you able to get them out of there?"

Adam's glance told him everything.

"That's something we're just going to have to do then, as soon as we can," Jesse replied, "Because I'm not going to leave them there."


	19. In A Lifetime Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Legal disclaimer-The rights to these characters belong to Marvel, Fireworks and Tribune.

Author's Note-I fully believe that this is the story that will not end. I need to go watch the DVD's again. Much of this is from "Nothing to Fear". I blame those guys and the intense desire I had to run in and get Jesse out of the pod in that...the rest, is my mind going beserk....Thank you for your reviews, gang. Love you all for them.

Two hours later, Emma Kilmartin checked in on her exhausted husband. He had taken a shower, dressed in the clothes she remembered from his nap in the meadow, and promptly fallen asleep in the room that Adam had prepared for them. He slept soundly, her senses picking up both his outward and inner calm. He had been through so much she was worried about his reaction to the trauma. She wanted to make sure that he didn't have any nightmares. He needed the sleep. Adam had warned her that he was worn out, the torture of the pod and his newfound powers being a drain that he wasn't adjusted to yet. Time was going to be the great healer.

Brennan watched her from the hall. Emma was his friend, he worried for her as well as for the rest of the team. Not being able to get the children out was not the outcome they wanted, but they had Jesse back and they had the arrival of Pierce. It was one of those times when 70 wasn't all that bad. He walked up behind her, put an arm around her shoulders and together they watched Jesse sleep. He finally looked peaceful.

Silently they turned and walked toward the main hall of the warehouse that Adam built. Shalimar and Lexa were talking with Adam, keeping their voices low for young Pierce who had mercifully passed out on the couch. Emma pulled the blanket over him again, seeing that he had kicked it off in his sleep and headed toward the conversation that was going on.

"How's Jesse?" Adam asked, looking up as Emma walked in.

"Asleep, pretty much dead to the world after his shower," Emma replied, "I think he'll be that way for a while."

"Needs to be is more like it," Adam replied, "Pierce should sleep that long as well, he's been through a number of things that Jesse has been through as well. Lexa, Emma, has Jesse spoken to you two about Pierce at all?"

"No," Lexa replied, "Why? You said he was okay?"

"He's fine," Adam said, taking Lexa's hands in his, "Don't worry. He's in great shape. He will probably take some time getting used to things and ask all of us a number of questions, but he's going to live a long time. His genetic structure is sound, he'll grow just like the other kids, act like them most of the time, and even grow into his abilities, much like all of you did."

"Why do I sense there's a but coming," Shalimar interrupted, "What are you not saying Adam?"

"I was going to have this conversation with Jesse, he wanted to talk to all of you about it before hand, and I don't really know what can be done," Adam said, "Pierce is physically about four years old, but his mind is that of a 10 year old. His power is at that level as well. His control is invasive. I know that Lexa and Emma had him run around in their minds, Jesse told me that he even showed him where he was in his own mind. This is a power that in a four year old can be extremely dangerous."

"No, you're not going to suggest it Adam," Lexa said, "Not on my son."

"I don't want to suggest it, Lexa, but you have to face the fact that this child is strong," Adam continued, "When I created the subdermal governor, it was to help new mutants, not leash them. That was Genomex's doing."

"I know, I know," Brennan stated, watching Lexa's reaction, "We're not saying that. All of us grew up knowing that we are different from everyone else, Pierce can have five of the greatest teachers to show him the right way to do things, Adam. All of us have been there. You've done a good job with us minus the governors. Don't do this."

Shalimar looked at Brennan, then looked at Adam. She knew logic would win with Adam, but the there was the one thing that would happen if Adam did do it.

"You do it and we'll take it off of him," she said simply, "He's a smart kid. He'll do the right thing by his power, Adam, just remember that. Not only did he get parents, he just got six teachers to help him with life."

Adam nodded, he was going to be outvoted. Pierce didn't realize he had just gained six parents. Adam looked at him sleeping and knew the child would sleep for hours.

"Okay, I give up," Adam said, resigned, "We have a pressing matter as it is. There are over 500 kids in the warehouse. I managed to get their names, so contacting their parents should not be a problem, but how are we going to get them out? I am out of ideas."

Brennan looked at Adam. It was rare for the man to be out of ideas, but, he did rely on them for many plans.

"First off, are the kids still there?" Brennan asked, heading for the map that Adam still had up on the monitor behind him, "Lexa, you still have contacts in the dominion, can you ask them?"

"Yeah, but I don't know if they..." Lexa followed him, "What are you thinking Brennan?"

"Well, here is what we have to do first and foremost," Shalimar gazed at Adam, "We need to find out about the parents of these children. If they want them, let's get them home. If not, they need homes. Now. Adam, can this be set up?"

"Carefully, yes. I managed to swipe those files as we got out of there," Adam replied, "Brennan, you want to go in there full assault?"

"Yes," Brennan said flatly, "We can go in and get the kids out one by one. The hardest part is that they are in these pods and they aren't awake. It took a while to wake Pierce up and he wasn't into running out of there. If they decided to transfer these kids pods, that would be easier to do."

"Okay, so we're going to be looking for large transport vehicles to that part of Pennsylvania, go on," Shalimar said, "You thinking trucking company?"

"Yeah, why not?" Brennan answered, his gaze going from her to Lexa then Emma, "It makes sense. We check the area, get in with the trucking company, and then get the kids that way. Call it our own underground railroad of sorts."

"I like it," Adam said, a smile starting to form on his face, "Lexa, can you set up the employment papers?"

Lexa looked at him. That was usually Jesse's job.

"Consider it done," she smiled turning back to the computer bank that Adam had set up, "I'll also run a search to see if any sort of activity has been set up already with them."

"They're going to need a large number of trucks," Brennan continued, "So, don't be surprised if we can't get them all, but if we can get some, we can decimate this future army."

"And that is the plan," Adam turned back to them, "Now, another thing we do have to discuss is Jesse, if you're okay with it Emma."

Emma nodded. There was no time like the present.

"He's going to be okay, isn't he?" Shalimar asked.

"Yes, he will be, over time," Adam began, pulling up his genetic test for the group, "He's been modified by the Creator though, and this might pose some differences to all of you."

"Modified? How?" Shalimar gave Adam a panicked look.

"He's a telepath now," Emma said, her look more of frustration and anger, "He's pretty strong at it as well."

Adam put a hand on Emma's then continued.

"Pierce has this ability, but I think it was more from work that the Creator did to him invitro. Sadly, all of you wound up becoming experimental DNA when the Dominion seized my records from Sanctuary. I thought the lab had blown, but they recovered bits and pieces from all of you in that Lab."

"Great, so you mean that some of those kids could be from all of us as well?" Brennan asked.

"Actually, from what I have in the files, no," Adam replied, "Jesse though is the person we might want to think about. Emma's been working with him to get some form of control of this ability, but he might scan you guys without realizing it. It's not his fault, just let him get a handle on it."

"He's actually doing pretty well with it, but Adam and I both thought you guys should know," Emma said, looking back toward the couch where Pierce lay, "Pierce has similar abilities, but he doesn't know how to scan. He'll learn, but he doesn't have the instinct to it that Jesse is showing. That's why he was so freaked out on the plane in. He's trying to get a handle on it."

"Got ya," Brennan said, "Weird to think of him as a telepath though."

"He's looking at as just another power though," Adam said, watching Emma's reactions, "It's different from what Emma possesses though, just keep that in mind. It could become a very useful tool for you guys."

Lexa chimed in at that moment, her concentration being partially on the conversation, the other half on setting up a rival transport company.

"Jesse's a telepath?" she asked stunned, "How strong is he Emma?"

"He's stronger than Pierce," Adam said, "The tests I ran show his brainwaves adjusting to this new power very quickly. I was worried that it wasn't going to be stable, but it seems to have stabilized and cemented. The work the Creator did is amazing. His wound is healing rather fast as well, so his telepathic strength will probably grow."

"He heard all of the children in the lab, Lexa," Emma replied, "Not being able to get them out is really bothering him. He would be up here with us but he's out cold. The stress and injury put him out. He was too tired to fight me."

"Get him up in four hours, Emma," Adam said, meeting her look, "He'll be raring to go and peeved if we don't include him."

"Amen to that," Brennan said, "I'm not going anywhere without him."

"Okay everyone, get some rest, we'll be on the road as soon as we can, and god help anyone who gets in our way."


	20. In a LifetimeChatper 20

Chapter 20

Legal Disclaimer-I don't own these characters, I'm just borrowing them.

Author's Note-This is becoming a harder process as I reach the end of this story. Here's the deal with the delay-Work and the upcoming election are keeping me busy. I volunteered to "ironwoman" it on Election day, so I'm going to be VERY busy. All of you that have reviewed, I thank you. Kat, it's not what you think..hee hee hee. And I know I will write more after this one is done. I hope you guys enjoy it.

Four and a half hours later, Jesse Kilmartin awoke on his own to find his lovely wife asleep next to him. She had curled up on his chest, her need to be close to him as bad as his need. He watched her sleep, steady rhythm of breathing equal to his. She was out, and he knew that her fear and panic, along with what she had picked up from his through this past ordeal must have worn her out. He had wanted to soothe it for her, make it an easier burden, so a tremendous amount of his pain and fear he bottled up and kept inside of himself. He would have to work it out soon though, because he might just explode.

Exploding would be good though. He had held the secret of Emma's existence for years, held his pain over Lexa's choice in silence and forced himself away from his surrogate family. While it was wonderful to know that his own child slept above them, he also knew that he would have build bridges back to this life because now, he would never be able to leave it. But he had left a life behind. He missed the insanity of the White House. Part of him wondered if they missed him. The same old self doubt that he had was coming back in waves.

He needed to get up though, stretch his legs and try to put calmness to the situation around him. He could feel the others thoughts wandering around his head, their actions more on the mission ahead. The power of thought was intoxicating to him, he wanted to listen to their thoughts run, but he knew that he needed to think about his own sanity first. Remembering an old kata and meditation from his childhood, he mentally prepped a wall, knowing that he could be exposed to some serious thoughts as he approached his friends. Gently and slowly, he got up, leaving a pillow to replace him in Emma's arms. He kissed her forehead, knowing that she would sleep a little more. He slowly crept out of the room, pausing only to grab a shirt to pull on over his tank top.

He started upstairs, finally getting a good look at the rooms on this level. It looked to him like an industrial version of Sanctuary. Nice to know that Adam kept his ascetics. He walked up the stairs and into the great room, where Brennan and Lexa were working on the computers. He closed his eyes and thought about Shalimar. Where could she be? His answer was a vision of her curled up on a bed, asleep. Jesse cursed himself. He didn't mean to scan her, but his luck was that she was asleep. His image of stronger walls helped him gain a level of control.

He walked into the room and looked around. While their backs were to him, he could see Adam working in the medical lab beyond them. In front of him, Pierce was still asleep on the couch, the blanket that had been placed over him in a ball on the floor. Jesse smiled. It seemed like there was life in the new home as well.

"Well, well, nice to see you guys at work for once," Jesse said, walking toward them with little difficulty, he was stiff from sleeping, "And hopefully you haven't crashed Adam's system yet."

Brennan turned. It was good to see Jesse up and around. As his smile grew, he got up and let Jesse sit in his seat. Their eyes met.

"How you feeling?" he asked softly.

"Better," Jesse's reply as soft, "Thanks."

"For what? I got your back man," Brennan hugged him.

"Always," Jesse whispered in his ear, "And thank you for getting Pierce out."

"You would do the same," Brennan said.

Jesse looked across at Lexa. She was up as well.

"Jesse, I..." she started and he noticed that she had tears in her eyes.

He didn't let her finish, he just took her in his arms. In his embrace, she lost her tension, tears that had been building finally being released.

"It's okay Lexa," he said, rubbing her back, "I know now what I didn't know before. And I'm sorry that I yelled at you. You had to know how much it hurt. And I didn't realize that you did."

Brennan watched the scene. Jesse had been thinking in that pod, it was obvious. Lexa did still mean a lot to him, but the emotion had changed. They were good friends. They could probably still be a team, but that would take time. Sadly, they didn't have time. Jesse released Lexa and wiped a tear that had been rolling down her cheek.

"Thank you, I don't deserve it, but thank you," she said, meeting his gaze, "How are you feeling, anyway? Adam told us what happened."

"That I am a telepath now?I figured he would," Jesse replied, "I hope it didn't freak you guys out. I know I was pretty out of it when you came and got me, hey, what was that we flew in, some new form of the Helix?"

"Yeah, but we haven't found a name for it yet," Brennan replied, searching for a seat, "You got any ideas?"

"Yeah, The Strand," Jesse replied, "I think it would fit."

"The Strand, I like it," Adam said, walking into the computer lab, "You feeling up to this Jesse?"

"Yes, I am," Jesse replied, "What's the plan, guys, we going after the kids or what?"

"Yes, we are," Lexa sat down and turned the monitor so that Jesse could read it. She outlined the plan, securing the manifest from the trucking company that the Dominion had rented to move the children, the location and time of the transfer and the planned new location. They also planned to hijack these trucks, wake the children and put them in the proper homes. Jesse saw the progress they made in the short time and was impressed. This might just work.

"But the question is has the Dominion moved these kids? They don't know that we know about all the children," Lexa said, "I mean they know we have Pierce, he was in the outer room of that warehouse."

Adam agreed. They would know. The strange look the Creator gave him though bothered him. The man had treated him like a son, not like a colleague and had referred to the people in this room as his "repairable" mistakes. Adam's staying with him had prevented him from trying to "fix" them, but the results of his "repair" on Jesse had him concerned. The molecular showed no outward signs of stress from the ordeal, but, Adam feared what the internal signs would be. He knew that Jesse had a temper and when he was angry enough, a massed molecular was something you didn't want to deal with.

"They are still there," Jesse said firmly, "Like Brennan suggested, they would have a hard time keeping these kids at bay if they were awake. They'll probably try to get them out at night, which means we have to move quickly."

Lexa pointed to the monitor as the manifest listing changed.

"Just our luck, the first shipment is tonight, and it looks like it's two trucks," she said, "They might be able to get these kids out, but where are they going?"

"Elsewhere," Jesse replied, his mind echoing the children's pleas for help, "I don't think they were in there to start with, they probably get moved around the whole time."

"We do," a small voice said from the couch, "They move us all the time."

Jesse turned. Pierce was awake.

"Hi Jesse," he said, looking toward him, "You wake now?"

"Sure am," Jesse said, getting up slowly, "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you I was okay, but you were asleep when I went and got some sleep myself. "

He walked over to sit with the boy on the couch. Resisting every urge to hug him, he simply sat down next to him. Pierce curled up with him.

"You know about the other children, Pierce?" Jesse asked, watching the boy's eyes.

"They are still there," Pierce said, "Grandpa looks after them and some older guy with dark hair. They called us the Creator's new children."

"Grandpa?" Lexa asked, getting up to join them.

"The man who Uncle Adam looks like," Pierce replied, "He watches us and makes sure we'll be big as grown ups. At least that's what he says."

Lexa's acknowledgement that Pierce was referring to the Creator was both a calm look for Pierce and a horrified one for Jesse. The thought of the Creator being Grandpa made her ill.

"I'm sure he does," Jesse responded, his eyes locking with Lexa's, "You know we want that for you here too."

He had caught a bit of the thought she had and agreed with her. That man was not their father, and for him to think that made him angry. Very angry.

"Yes, and you let me run around, and not sleep all day," Pierce said, "You guys are cool."

Brennan laughed. The kid not only was cute, but on the way to adorable.

"Thanks," Jesse smiled, "Did you sleep well just now?"

"Yes," Pierce said, "Jesse are you my dad?"

Jesse stopped. He had been thinking about how he was going to tell him that. His own child was scanning him. It meant the wall he put wasn't working as well as he hoped, but maybe Pierce could see through walls. It was something that needed testing, he noted, and watched Adam's reaction. He then realized that thought was Adam's and not his. His brows raised slightly at the realization, then he looked back at Pierce. His son was waiting for the answer.

"Yes, I am," Jesse said, his eyes meeting Pierce's, "Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, it is," Pierce said, "I had a feeling you might be. I heard Grandpa say that you were my dad."

"Do you know what a dad is?" Jesse asked Pierce, ignoring the sad look he was getting from Lexa, "Did your Grandpa tell you about Mom's and Dad's?"

"Yeah, he told me that I didn't have any, but, I have you," he put his hands on Jesse's arm, then turned to Lexa, "And you."

Lexa's face softened and Jesse could see the tears building in her eyes. He knew if he told her Adam's revelation it might hurt and she was not in a state where it would make sense. Lexa did the the most natural thing she could think of. She hugged Pierce.

"Lexa, why are you crying?" Pierce asked, "Did I upset you?"

"No, sweetie, you could never do that," Lexa said, "I'm just really happy that you're here."

Pierce smiled, his face lighting up. He finally felt like he was home.

The happy moment was interrupted by the computer's mail tone. Adam turned to the computer, reading the incoming message.

"Brennan, you need to go wake Shalimar, and Jesse, go get Emma," Adam said, turning back to them, "The trucking company needs one team to go get a delivery from the farm, and I want you guys on it. Lexa come with me, Pierce, want to come help Uncle Adam with some things?"

Pierce nodded as Adam's eyes met Jesse's. It was showtime. Lexa followed Adam into the lab. They would work as a team and the mission was to get the kids home.

As they passed each other, Lexa stopped Jesse. She pulled the ring off of her hand and put it on his ring finger. Their eyes met.

"You might need this," she said softly, watching their son run behind Adam, "And thank you for looking out for me."

"You're welcome," he said, praying that the wall he built would stay strong as long as she was around, "I know you would do the same, Lex."

Lexa smiled and walked past him. It was good to have at least on thing resolved in his life.


	21. In a LifetimeChapter 21

Chapter 21

Legal Disclaimer-The rights belong to others...I'm just writing fanfiction here.

Author's Note-Action, finally. It's going to make you all a little bit mad, it took me forever to get this right. Thank you all for the reviews. Hope you all enjoy.

Emma was awake by the time Jesse entered their room. She had opened her eyes only minutes before he carefully opened the door and slowly walked into the room. Her eyes met his as he looked at her.

"Hey there, sleepyhead," he said, "There's a plan afoot and we're going to get the kids out."

"I don't want you to go," Emma said sleepily, "You've been through too much. You don't have this new ability under control yet."

"I know that, Emma, you don't have to keep reminding me," Jesse glared at her, "I'm doing fine, and I'm not going in. I'm just helping to fly the Strand in. You guys are doing the hard stuff."

"The Strand?" Emma looked at him curiously, "That's a great name. Yours huh?"

"Yes," Jesse smiled, "I thought it was properly scientific. Anyway, I'm going with Brennan. Adam's going to watch Pierce. And I have to talk to you about Pierce."

"He's okay right?" Emma asked, watching Jesse's reactions.

Jesse took a second. There was no time like the present.

"He's fine, and well, he's also yours."

"WHAT?" Emma asked shocked.

She sat on the bed stunned.

He was expecting it. The mere thought that Pierce was Lexa's and his was still hard to believe, let alone the child's amazing ability was a genetic manipulation from the Creator was unbelievable. It made sense though. There was no other way, other than by relation that Pierce could have contacted Emma or Lexa. DNA was the connection, making this a strange family bond, but a bond nonetheless.

"According to Adam, when the Creator was working on these children, he added genetic material to them to increase or decrease their powers," Jesse replied, taking her hand as he sat down on the bed next to her, "There is a quantity of your DNA in his to qualify you as a parent. Lexa doesn't know this yet. According to Adam, all three of us are his parents. Pierce will likely be a molecular elemental with empathic capabilities."

"The perfect super solider," Emma breathed, "Jesse, we are the only ones to raise him."

"I know, I know," Jesse nodded, "This is just a lot to process. I need to find the rest of these kids first Emma. They were messed with, like Pierce was, like I was, and neither one of us had a choice."

"Is it I or we Jesse?" she asked, getting up.

Emma read the waves coming off of her husband. She had seen Jesse like this before, he was pretty sensitive to others, a trait that got him into more trouble than it was worth at times. He was going to try and fix the situation, he got them into this.

"It's not your fault that these kids are there, Jess, you have to remember that," Emma said, pulling a sweater and boots on, "You know that right?"

Jesse looked at her, wondering if she was reading him. He used to know, but with the revelations of the past day, he had built a high wall around his emotions. He let the wall down a bit. She wasn't in his head.

"I know," he replied softly, "God, Emma, this is so hard. I didn't have a clue to what you went through on a regular day. How can you stand it?"

Emma looked at Jesse, her heart breaking. Her husband finy understood her, but it had taken years and a lifesaving surgery for him to get it. He didn't know the day to day struggle to hold onto the emotions that were just hers, let alone filter the emotions of her friends and family. He was busy working on his own sanity, it seemed. The pod had done things to him. Her boots on, she walked over to him and into his arms. He hugged her like she was his last chance at oxygen. She had read him right and she didn't even try.

"Having the right people around me helps," Emma replied into his shaking chest, "Jesse, you will get a handle on this. Are you sure that you are up to this? Brennan, Lexa, Shal and I can handle this."

"You're not leaving me here again," Jesse replied softly, letting her go, "I'll see you upstairs in the Strand in five minutes."

He looked at her, his eyes a mix between hurt, anger and fear, and then headed out of the room. Her lack of confidence in him was making him angry, but he wouldn't let her see it. He knew that she was right, he might not be in the best shape to go on this mission, but the voices had called to him, they needed his help. He was the only one who understood that they were in those pods with their minds working but their bodies were unable to work with them. It was a fear he hoped never to experience, but now, on the other side of the experience, he had vowed that no one would ever go through it again.

He just needed his space. They would get these kids out, bring Pierce back to DC and have a normal life with a kid in their lives. That would be good. It was good to focus on that. He would leave this life of insanity and go onward, getting some sort of order back in his life so that he wouldn't have to keep dropping everything for Adam and his crusades. Part of him wanted to call in a favor from his friends in the service, but he knew that if he did, he'd have to explain Mutant X to them and that was something that still had to remain secret.

He was exhausted from the thought of it all when the whisper came to him.

_I don't think he's up to it and it might not be the best idea for him to be on this..._

He knew the voice, he didn't have to be a telepath to know it. Brennan was worried about him. He continued down the hallway to the hangar of the Strand and buttoned his shirt as he walked. He expected the resistance from his teammates, but for Brennan to think that, he must have looked pretty bad. Brennan was waiting for him.

"Jesse, I don't think...." The elemental stared at him.

"I'm up to it, Brennan, we have to get those kids out," Jesse interrupted, "I am fine."

"Dammit Jesse, don't go reading my mind," Brennan grabbed his arm, "That's not fair. You know I'm concerned about you. Are you sure you can handle this? I'm worried for you bro."

"Me too, Brennan, you know as well as anyone if I didn't think that I could do it, I wouldn't be here, k?" Jesse didn't feel like arguing with him.

Adam came into the hangar area and surveyed the scene. Jesse was pissed. It was one thing for his friends to be concerned; he was used to that from them. But, something was different about his reactions to the anger. The room's air seemed to change with his mood. Could it be more than telepathy that the molecular possessed? Adam mused the thought then looked at him. Jesse had clearly heard him. They would talk later.

"Sorry," Adam said walking passed him, "You guys ready to go?"

"Where you going?" Pierce asked, following Adam.

Jesse stopped. While his head was beginning to hurt from the tension of his friends concern, Pierce was a factor he hadn't considered and kicked himself for not considering him.

_Some father_, he yelled at himself.

"We're going to save the other kids Pierce," Jesse said, "No one needs to grow up in a pod, you think?"

"I want to help you," Pierce said, "Let me help you."

"Pierce," Emma suggested as she came into the hangar, "You need to help Adam, don't you?"

Pierce turned and looked at her. Lexa had joined them as well. She could sense what Emma was up to and she knew to back off. The empath was great at making sure that Pierce would behave. That was needed now. Emma looked at him, their eyes meeting then he turned toward Adam. Pierce nodded and took Adam's hand. Adam, realizing that he had witnessed Emma at work smiled. It was good to see that they could work as a team.

Lexa looked at Jesse. Her look was of concern, not of the worry that knotted Brennan's brow.

"You up to this? It's probably going to get pretty intense in there," she said, meeting his look.

"Yes, and don't try to fight me on this as well," Jesse said, sitting down in his usual spot from the Helix, now a more sophisticated computer well just behind the pilot's seats, "I know you guys are worried, I am fine."

Shalimar flew past him, heading for the co-pilot seat.

"You'd better be," she said, winking at him as she passed, "Because I don't intend to leave you here."

Jesse was grateful for Shalimar's confidence in him. He knew that they cared, but they didn't want him hurting himself on the mission. They needed a whole Jesse and he was going to make sure it stayed that way. Emma came into the Strand last. She had hugged Pierce before coming in, making sure that the boy was okay with all the activity going on. She also did something she knew she could, she set a control within the child to relax. Adam didn't need a hyperactive 4 year old running through this new haven of theirs to interfere with their activity. Jesse had sensed it happening, his look of thanks told her so.

Brennan powered up the Strand, knowing that as he met Adam's eyes , this could be a very bad trip they were heading out on. Adam waved and within minutes they were airborne.

Jesse sat in the computer well, looking at the scene but hearing the horror in his head. It was almost like he was watching a movie that replayed without him hitting the rewind button. The screams started quickly, the smell of fire and the sound of explosion taking him far from the Strand and brining him straight into the warehouse. It was ablaze.

Emma's deep intake of breath brought it to the team's attention, the emotions of panic, fear and pain that Jesse radiated overwhelming her. She had great control, but Jesse was broadcasting like a 250,000 watt radio antenna. He couldn't help it, it was truly overwhelming. He was shaking like a leaf.

He had put his hands over his ears and tried to find a center to hold on to. It was a huge storm of emotions and they were running through his head. His eyes had closed and he felt himself curling into a ball.

"Emma, what is it?" Shalimar asked, her instincts kicking in first, she could smell the fear radiating off of Jesse.

Brennan had put the Strand into stealth and knew that they were about two minutes away. He looked at his best friend and realized that Emma was reacting to Jesse. He had gone still, his eyes back open and starting straight ahead, like he was seeing the most horrifying scene in front of him that could not stop.

"Emma, talk to us, do we need to land now?" Brennan asked quickly, watching the young woman gather her breath.

"No, I think he can fight it," she said, closing her eyes, "Jesse, listen to me."

"I can't," he breathed, "It's so horrible. Brennan, hurry. They're burning the warehouse the kids are in."


	22. In a LifetimeChapter 22

Chapter 22

Legal Disclaimer-The rights to these characters do not belong to me, they belong to the folks at Marvel, Fireworks, Alliance Atlantis and Tribune Entertainment. I write this fanfic because they haven't bothered to continue with a new season. Reruns just energize the fanbase, remember that!

Authors Note-The election is over and my guy didn't win. That's all I want to say about it, other than I fear for the country in the next four years. Intelligence, it seems, doesn't really matter anymore. The following is really, really dark. It's partially my mood, partially the situations. Review please. I need the boost really, really bad.

The scene that they arrived to was nearly too horrible to be believed. The night sky was lit with the fire, the smoke from it actually hiding the stealth covered Strand as Brennan landed. The farmland the Creator owned was empty. The people that had populated it had left the reminder of what had been there a side by side screen that Jesse had pulled up in the computer well. The only life signs they had now were from the warehouse and they were fading fast.

The pain and agony of the children's thoughts ate at Jesse as he fought for control. The anger welled in him, a rage he only knew when his friends had been double-crossed. He had heard the children's screams then the eerie quiet. The fire, the fear, the smell of the air just before the explosion were replaying in his mind as they flew toward it, the thoughts getting stronger. He struggled to think, but stared at the computer screen ahead of him. He scanned the warehouse again silently praying for life signs. A number of red dots appeared, so Jesse knew they were alive.

"Brennan," he didn't hide the urgency in his voice, "Land now."

Brennan caught the message. They were landing and saving the kids, if anyone saw them, the hell with it. Jesse was up and running as they landed, forgetting his equipment. Emma tried to stop him but she wasn't fast enough. Jesse was in such a hurry that he phased through the doorway of the Strand before it opened.

Shalimar was steps behind him. Jesse sped for the warehouse, not caring if anyone saw him using powers. He needed to get in and get the kids out. Brennan was on his heels, yelling at him to slow down but he knew that Jesse didn't hear him. Brennan caught up with him then with a simple glance, they both ran into the smoke filled warehouse. Together, Jesse and Brennan pulled kids out of pods, Jesse phasing the pod and pulling the kids out, putting them into Brennan's arms, then Lexa's, then Emma's.

The pods were lined up one by one, and it was a sight that Jesse knew would haunt him for the rest of his days. The pods in the front of the warehouse were a lost cause, they were broken and burning, while the pods in the back were just filling with smoke. Brennan, Jesse, Emma, Shalimar and Lexa worked together, one pod after the other, picking the kids out of the pods and running them out into the night air. The kids were slowly waking up, but the fire was racing them for control of the building.

As Shalimar watched the kids awaken, the townspeople began to join her. They had been lead to the farm by the fire and were doing their best to wake the children. The ones who did not wake they covered with blankets and said silent prayers for their departed souls. The others were wrapped in blankets and songs were gently sung to them to keep them calm.

As the last pod emptied, Jesse turned and looked in the smoke filled warehouse, trying to find some reason for this disaster, some last life to save. When he couldn't find an answer in the smoke, he ran outside, falling to his knees and breathing in clean air in desperate breaths. The horror of the scene here he knew would follow him to his grave. Brennan came up behind him, and gently leaned over him. He tried to find the words to help him.

"We got who we could out, man, you did your best," he said, pulling Jesse to his feet, "You did good."

Jesse looked at him and couldn't focus. The image of the children played in his mind over and over again. Brennan looked into his eyes.

"Jesse?" Brennan asked, "Did you even hear what I said?"

Jesse shook his head. Brennan's face came into focus and the words he spoke began to make sense. He had gotten so focused on saving the kids that he didn't even think. Brennan looked at him, the same worry coming back to him, which he quickly clamped down on. He didn't know how to handle Jesse in this state, he didn't look human.

"You okay?" he asked slowly.

"Why did they do this Brennan?" Jesse asked, trying to fight the tears that were beginning to fill his dry eyes, "Why kill them?"

Brennan couldn't answer. The death around them was horrifying and the prayers of the Amish around them was little comfort to the scene. Emma, Lexa, and Shalimar were tending to the children who made it, putting them in the hands of the Amish and tending whatever medical care that they could. The kids who were alive were very young, looking somewhere around age three.

Jesse took a deep breath. It was hard to breathe, but he felt that he was at least able to breathe. Inside the warehouse he wasn't able to breathe.

"How many did we save?" Jesse thought aloud, looking back toward their makeshift triage, "Did you keep a count?"

"Maybe 200," Brennan said, "The rest were already gone."

"Yeah, they were," Jesse said, walking back toward the triage they had set up.

Emma looked up from one of the children as Jesse approached. She looked at him. Jesse looked completely defeated. She wanted to run to him, to save him from this hurt. Jesse met her eyes and his face when blank.

_Don't,_ was the thought that he sent to her.

He walked through the row of kids that were lying on the ground, sleeping and stirring slowly. The kids were blond, pale and reminded him of a bad horror film. He stopped for a second, looked at the children, and then realized what was in front of him.

Instinctually he touched the edge of his commring.

"Adam," he said softly, "Pierce doesn't need to hear this."

"He's busy, I have him playing computer games," Adam said, pacing the floor of his lab, "What's happening?"

"They burned the warehouse," Jesse said flatly, "We rescued about 200 of the kids, Adam. The rest didn't..."

"Jesse, you did the best you could do, I feared this might happen," Adam interrupted, stopping and sighing, "How are the other kids?"

"They are okay, somewhat," Jesse replied, "The Amish have come out to try and put out the fire and they are looking after them."

"Good," Adam said, "They can offer more help than we can. You guys should come back here, we can track what we can from here. The Amish will adopt these kids, Jesse."

"How can you be so sure about that Adam?" Jesse said, "They don't even talk to strangers."

"They're still human beings Jesse, they'll take them," Adam argued, hearing the anguish in Jesse's voice, "The Creator has probably set it up that way. Talk to the townspeople, Jesse, you can. Do it for them."

Jesse stopped. He looked back at the kids, many of whom didn't speak, just looked his direction. He could tell how excited they were that they were free of the pods, and actually able to walk in some cases, while the other children lay on the ground, breathing for the first time unaided by the pod. They would be able to live their lives now, not have them dictated by the Creator.

"I'll do it Adam, but you need to know something," Jesse said, after he thought about it, "They all look like Pierce."

"All of them?" Adam asked stunned, "You think they're..."

"Yeah, I think they are Adam," Jesse replied, "And I wouldn't put it past him. Killing clones of a child to him is not killing human beings. The Amish will never know they're clones, Adam. I won't allow it."

"Agreed," Adam breathed, "Jesse, once you're done, get back here."

"Yeah, I will," Jesse replied.

Jesse walked over to Brennan and pulled the ring off of his finger and handed it Brennan.

"You talk to Adam," he said, "I'm done."

He walked back toward the group with the kids. He knew that finding the leader of the group was going to be easy, he could still talk to them and let them know that these kids had no parents and this was their gift from the Creator. He knew that Amish weren't stupid, but they would look after the children. That was what he could hope for. He wasn't disappointed, the families that came to the farm all took children, leaving them with families in the community. Since they were born there, the elders stated, they were part of the community. Jesse mentioned nothing about their mutancy. He knew to do that would be the children's death sentence.

The children all glanced back at him and at the fire as they left the farm. He saw their eyes. They were going someplace better, he knew, and that one thought he played over and over with every child who left. He gave them back their hope.

Shalimar and Lexa began packing up their equipment as Brennan helped the remaining townspeople put out the fire. Sadly, due to the intensity of the fire, there was nothing left of the warehouse, or the pods within. It was lucky, yet sad to the team, since it left no evidence of these children's lives, but, it kept their secret.

After making the arrangements for the children, Jesse headed back to the Strand, settling into his seat in the computer well. He didn't talk to anyone, just made the appropriate flight plans for home, then sat staring at the screen. He didn't even hear the rest of the group loading the Strand and settling in next to him. He literally jumped when Emma touched his arm.

"Honey?" she asked, both verbally and telepathically, "You alright?"

His eyes met hers. The anguish of the screams of the children, the energy used to save them, and the vision he had of the burning warehouse hit him at once and mercifully, he passed out.


	23. In a LifetimeChapter 23

Chapter 23

Legal Disclaimer-The rights aren't mine. They belong elsewhere.

Author's Note-Here you guys go...enjoy. All of my reviewers I thank you again. It's almost over, but we have to give Jesse a little time to heal. I've about made him insane. You guys might want a little Kleenex, this ones a hard read.

Lexa Pierce stared at the scene in front of her and thought about the past few hours. It was hard to believe that they had reached this place. Jesse was incoherent. He had awakened soon after he passed out, but wouldn't talk to anyone. He had simply gone into the room that he shared with Emma, took his shoes off and sat on the bed. He stared straight ahead.

Adam had come in and examined him. He had read enough and seen enough to know that Jesse was okay, but was in shock. This was not a shock he could drag him out of; he knew that by instinct, all he could do was let Jesse find his own way out. It was scary to see him like this though. The young man could be such a light when he needed him to be. He put a hand on his shoulder, which Jesse shrugged off like he had hurt him. Adam left the room, not speaking to him, but thinking only one phrase.

_Come back when you're ready_.

Brennan was working out. His anger over the death of the children was palpable and echoed his frustration over not being able to help Jesse. His brother was seriously hurting. Helping him was the priority, but the workout would clear his mind so that he could better help him. He had to heal before he could help anyone else.

Emma sat with Shalimar, trying to figure out some way to help her husband. Jesse had motioned her off. She had tried everything to get him to talk, but she was scared at how silent he had become. He radiated pain mixed with fear and when she read him, he gave her the largest wall she had ever seen. He knew he would hurt her if the volume of the pain he was in showed and by not letting her in, he knew that he was frustrating her, but he needed the space. Adam had told them all to leave him alone. He would come to them when he was ready, but Emma sensed that something was horribly wrong. Jesse had always been a rock for her; it hurt her to not be a rock for him. She now felt like he was in a raging storm that she couldn't even begin to understand. She could tell how people felt, she could even influence them, but the depth of pain Jesse had felt when the fire started and the kids started dying had burnt him out. His light was gone, and he was lost for the moment. She didn't know when she would find him again. Going into the room hurt too much, he wouldn't even acknowledge her existence.

Pierce tried desperately to understand what was happening around him. Uncle Adam had told him that Jesse needed quiet time, much like when Pierce was working on the computer that he had set up for him. Jesse was in trouble, he could tell, because all the grown ups had talked about Jesse but not to him. They didn't think he was listening, but Pierce did understand.

Pierce had taken to video games. He wished Jesse would play them with him, but Jesse wouldn't talk to him. He had watched him from the door of the room that he was in, and Jesse didn't even seem to know he was there.

Pierce tried to talk to him, not using words, and Jesse stared at him, a look that was far too pained for Pierce to understand. Jesse wouldn't reply to him, just looked at him. Lexa joined Pierce at the doorway, then did something her heart told her she needed to do. She walked in and sat down on the bed next to him.

"You don't have to talk, Jesse," she started, not looking at him, but at the wall behind him, "You don't even have to look at me. I know what you're going through. I care about you. We all do. You don't need to sit here for long; you have loved ones to come back to. Emma can't physically come in here; you're too volatile for her to think straight in here. She hasn't told me that, but I can sense it. Don't need to be psionic for it either. Pierce wants his dad back, I can understand this, but, I will do my best to be his mom, while we wait. You just need to know that we are here, Jess. And we would do anything for you."

Jesse wiped away the tears that fell without warning. He heard her, but the pains of the children's screams were overriding his mind. He couldn't drag himself away from the emotion, it hurt too much. She touched his hand, then left. She had said what she needed to say. Jesse knew she left, but he didn't have the strength to talk to her or follow her. He was also grateful that she took Pierce with her. The kid didn't need to see him like this, he was scared of himself.

Jesse sat in the darkness still. He needed the time to pull himself out of the hole this horror had created. The screams still ate at him. He laid down on the bed, his back to the doorway. It felt good to have his head on the pillow. He craved silence and concentrated on a wall that he could put up on his emotions that would block out his memories. It wouldn't stand, no matter what he did.

Shalimar stood at the doorway that Lexa had vacated and stared at her surrogate little brother, trying to figure out some way to reach him. She had listened to Adam's advice about leaving him alone, but she couldn't. She brought him into this, and had kicked herself for ever asking him to meet her at the Georgetown Bar since. She needed to comfort him in her own way. The only question was how. Brennan had told her quietly that the kids were clones, over 200 didn't make it, and Jesse felt like he had killed every one of them. This horrified her. Jesse had always liked kids, they had talked about them many a night in the early days of Sanctuary. He always knew he wanted them, but the thought of having a kid with his potential had been scary. He hoped that whomever he wound up with in life would understand the need for privacy and his need to be there for his kid, unlike his father was. In the short amount of time she had spent with Pierce, she knew that he would have a father, but the anguish of this new power was separating them. She couldn't figure out what hurt more, the scarred Jesse or Pierce looking sadly at Jesse's doorway.

She too, did what she knew would help. She walked in and sat on the bed. Jesse didn't acknowledge her, he just stared straight ahead. She knew his heart was broken. She wanted to mend his spirit, if she could.

"Hey there, Jess," she began, "I know you'll talk when you want to, and you know that Brennan and I will be there for you. Brennan told me that it was hell, but you have to remember that you saved 200 kids last night. They have homes now, they can run and play. They know it was you who saved them. You also saved your son. That's huge, Jesse, and he's waiting for you as well. I love you, Jesse. Come back to us."

She had fought back the tears for a while, then let them go. She knew the emotion might hurt him, his state being so fragile that she knew he could read her thoughts, but, she knew, he would read the love pouring out of her as well. He was her brother in everything but blood, and she wanted him back.

When she looked up, her eyes met Brennan's at the doorway. Brennan had worked out, cleared his mind and knew that he had to go to Jesse and get him out of the fog he was in. He put a hand on Shalimar's as she left, knowing that she felt the same way he did, all they could do was try. Brennan knew his way might work, or it might drive him further down the path.

He walked into the room, sat on the bed, and stared at Jesse. The blank stare he got back was scary. It looked like his friend no longer resided in the blue eyes he knew and trusted to watch his back or supply a quick joke. The warehouse fire had burned him out.

"Jesse, man, you're in there, I know you are," he began, "And I know you're hurting. Christ, so am I. We did what we could, I know you heard them, I know you're blaming yourself, and this is not your fault. This was the dominion's doing. They know the kids had working minds, but they didn't value their lives. That's what makes us human, Jesse. Read me if you must, I share your horror, bro."

Jesse looked at Brennan for the first time with a bit of light in his eyes. Brennan was right, it wasn't his fault. He wished he could have helped those kids, hearing them scream was the worst thing he could have imagined. Brennan knew, he saw the fire. He smelled the fear coming off the kids, and he knew the sadness of what Jesse felt.

Brennan stared at him, his mind open as ever. This was his friend and he knew that Jesse would not hurt him. Jesse was just in a hell that Brennan could only imagine. He had seen the carnage and Jesse's rage. The Dominion might have thought that they erased a problem from their lives, but what they had done was start a war.

"You know, you asked my why they would kill the kids," Brennan continued softly, "These guys aren't even close to human beings, Jesse. Even though they cloned them from Pierce's DNA, they had minds and souls. This is their karma to live with, not yours."

"Always the Buddhist," Jesse said softly, finding his voice for the first time in days.

Brennan smiled, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. Jesse had a light return to his eyes, one he remembered well. Brennan looked into that light. Jesse was slowly coming back to them.

"Can't help it," Brennan replied, "You want to talk about this, or you want to work it out? You know we're behind you."

Jesse couldn't help but let the tears go again. He had felt the love and emotion of everyone who had walked in. He couldn't talk to them, he wanted to, but the only one who could understand the hell of what he saw was Brennan, he had been there.

"I wish I could stop crying," Jesse replied softly, his voice cracked, "Dammit Brennan, I can't control this. It hurts too much."

"Yeah, life does," Brennan said plainly, "I haven't been much a friend lately, sorry, I had no clue what the telepathy was doing to you. I know that Emma's got it under control, you, you're not even sure if your thoughts are you own, right? You're not crazy, Jesse. Just know that."

Jesse sat up and looked at Brennan full on. He let his guard down and gently read his friend. Brennan was completely sincere. He had concern for Jesse, that kept running through his head, over and over again, but Jesse could tell that the vision he had of the fire was as bad, if not worse than his. He hated seeing the kids die too.

"You done?" Brennan asked after a few heartbeats, "You know there's a whole bunch of people who want you back upstairs, right?"

Jesse nodded, wiping his face with his hand.

"You still got my back?" Jesse asked, his mind out of Brennan's.

"Hell yes," Brennan replied, hand out to grab Jesse's, "And I know you have mine."

The brotherly, ritual handshake was followed by something Brennan had hoped to see. Jesse smiled. He then looked at the doorway. Brennan turned as well. Emma was standing there, her eyes meeting Jesse's.

"I'm going to leave you two alone," Brennan suggested, getting off the bed, "You come up when you're ready, k Jess?"

Jesse nodded as Brennan walked out of the room. Emma looked at him, unable to move from her place on the stairs. She missed him more than she admitted and was holding back every urge to run into his arms. She didn't want to hurt him as much as he didn't want to hurt her. He was able to talk again, thanks to Brennan.

"Emma, I," Jesse started to talk then realized what he needed to do.

He stood up and gathered her in his arms. The images of hours ago still played in his mind, they were becoming easier and easier to deal with, but, they were easier to handle with her in his arms.


	24. In a LifetimeChapter 24

Chapter 24

Legal Disclaimer-The rights are not mine, they belong elsewhere.

Authors Note-Since no one reviewed my last chapter, I can't think but to end this. I will probably turn it into a series, but, I was hoping people might like this. Review this one...It's my birthday-No really, it is. Nicest present would be your opinion. Thanks.

Dinner was always something to bring a group around a table. Lexa and Shalimar had made plates of sushi, Emma had prepared miso soup and Adam, after setting the table, made a cucumber salad that the chefs in Japan would admire. Adam was trying to get the team back to normal. The death of the children, the reaction that Jesse had to it, and pulling him out of it were not the easiest for this team to bear, but he knew they would be stronger because of it. He had begun to realize how much he had missed them. His children had grown up, and they were even more responsible than he could remember.

Brennan had kept an eye on Pierce, knowing that keeping him occupied was more of a help to the group in the kitchen than they wanted to admit. Pierce could be a great help, but, he would help them later when they cleared the table. They were hungry and ready for a meal.

Jesse wandered out of the bedrooms and joined them. Since his quiet time with Emma, he had taken a shower, changed his clothes and tried to get himself back to feeling somewhat normal. A good meal would help.

He shared a smile with Emma as he walked into the kitchen. She kissed him lightly and put a hand on the side of his face.

"You shaved," she said, "You are feeling better."

"Yeah," Jesse replied, "Brennan, Pierce are where?"

"Left them in the computer lab," Adam said, "You might want to go get them, Brennan's getting trounced at chess."

"Chess? Who said Brennan could play Chess?" Jesse grinned. He knew that Brennan would keep Pierce safe.

He headed into the nearby lab with a light heart. Pierce would be glad to see him. His back was to him as Jesse entered, Brennan and Pierce deep in thought with the game.

"Hey there, it's Japanese tonight..." Jesse began as he was assaulted by a blond child at running at him.

He knelt down and took the child into a hug.

"Hey there, sorry I wasn't talking earlier," Jesse said automatically, looking into the little boy's eyes, "It wasn't you."

"I know, Uncle Sparky explained it to me," Pierce replied, looking back at Brennan, "Oh, and its checkmate..."

Brennan turned and laughed at the scene. Pierce was a smart, adorable kid who was smarter than all of them. He had whipped Brennan in several games of chess without even thinking. Reminded him of Jesse in his own way.

"Good boy," Jesse said, meeting the child's eyes, "Just don't play him in basketball. You ready for some dinner?"

"Yes, I am," Pierce smiled, "French Fries?"

Jesse couldn't help but laugh. It felt good to. Brennan joined them at the doorway, shutting down the game and seeing his best friend's joy at his friend's new life.

Once dinner was done and Pierce was asleep, the talk around the dinner table turned to the events of the past few days. They knew that they would have to do something. Lexa had tried her Dominion contacts, hoping for some sign of where the remaining children were.

There was very little to go on. From what she had uncovered, this project of cloning children was experimental and very secret from what she could find out. The fact they had found it was a miracle all its own. They knew that Pierce was Lexa's child, but they were not willing to tell her much, for fear of reprisal from the Creator and the Director of the Dominion. Lexa shuddered at the thought of the Director. The dark haired man was the Creator's puppet, talking for him during torture sessions and treating the man in the wheelchair, whom she respected, like a second class citizen. Taking him down would be a pleasure. She had to admit she wanted company.

Brennan looked at Jesse, who sat stone still at the table, listening to the opinions presented. Emma had been extremely quiet. Shalimar also watched the others, trying to find the right words to say. While they worked well together, it was still hard to figure out exactly what to say to each other. Adam observed the silence.

"We have to get the kids out of that situation," Jesse said, breaking the silence, "What did the Creator's files tell you about them, Adam?"

Adam glanced at Jesse. Jesse's return look was a great relief. The fear of his earlier times was gone. He had a purpose.

"They are cloning five children," Adam began, "The best I can tell, we'll be looking for four children and the rest will be clones of them."

"Pierce is what, clone, or original child?" Emma asked, knowing that's what Jesse was going to ask, and sparing him the pain of asking.

"Original," Adam replied, "He wouldn't be able to do what he does best without being original. The Creator will more than likely trace the kids in the town, but, the Amish will hide them from him. He was great in taking care of them, but the fire, from what the past tales of the area will tell, is a curse from God in their eyes. Jesse, you didn't tell them that the kids were..."

"No, I didn't," Jesse's voice was flat and distant; "They had enough going against them."

"Okay then, we have that in our corner," Adam continued, "From what I could decrypt, the kids are spread all over the world. Freeing these kids is going to take a commitment. Are you guys up to it?"

Jesse stared at Emma. It didn't take much to read her thoughts. She was scared. Jesse had been through too much, they now had Pierce to take care of, and she really didn't want the child to be exposed to more of this. She worried about them both.

Lexa sat back at looked at Jesse. The thought of working again and putting these guys away for the crimes against children was something she hadn't realized she was craving. She was in.

Brennan gave Shalimar a glance that was completely readable. Shalimar grinned.

"We're in," Brennan said a few heartbeats later, "Just need the time to make sure the school is in good hands so we can go back and forth. Lexa?"

"On it," she smiled, "You know I got your backs."

Brennan turned and looked at Jesse. His friend's expression was blank. Emma looked at Jesse as well.

"Jess?" she asked softly, "You want to..."

"Yeah, I do," Jesse said, "These kids didn't deserve this. Let's get them out of there."

"Ok," Emma breathed, "We're in."

Adam smiled. His team was back and ready.


End file.
